Chargers' Norv Turner, A.J. Smith To Return Next Season

Chargers head coach Norv Turner and general manager A.J. Smith will return next season, it was announced Tuesday.

The announcement by the team's president, Dean Spanos, ended weeks of speculation about the fate of Turner and Smith after the Chargers failed to make the playoffs for the second straight year.  

"Bottom line, I believe these two men give us the best chance to get back to the playoffs," Spanos said. "A.J. Smith is the best man to improve our roster, and Norv Turner is the best man to lead that roster on the field."

Spanos said team members believe in and respect Turner, and that was shown particularly this past season, which included a series of six straight losses. The team ended up 8-8.

"When we went through that tough stretch, no one quit. The team kept playing hard, and that's a tribute to Norv's leadership and the respect the players have for him," Spanos said.

During Smith's nine-year tenure as general manager, the team has won 88 games and five AFC West titles.

"Despite the number of wins we've had, the net bottom line is it doesn't mean anything unless you win a championship," Spanos said. "That's our goal, and I am committed to winning a Super Bowl for San Diego."

Spanos said the team would now take a hard look at everything, from player evaluation to coaching to the rash of injuries the team suffered in recent years, in order to improve across the board.