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For one second, San Diego was on the mind of Chargers' Anthony Lynn as L.A. era kicked off

CARSON, Calif. – New Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn began his introductory news conference by nearly referring to himself as the head coach of the San Diego Chargers.

Forgive Lynn for the slip of the tongue, as when he interviewed for the position last week, that’s where the Charger franchise was based.

Yes, the change is still fresh. It was only this past Thursday that team owner Dean Spanos announced the franchise’s move up north after San Diego taxpayers recently rejected a ballot measure that would have funded a new, $2 billion stadium.

New Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn speaks to the media Tuesday at his introductory press conference. (AP)
New Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn spoke to the media Tuesday at his introductory news conference. (AP)

Thus, Tuesday’s event served as the organization’s first visit to Los Angeles and the StubHub Center, a 27,000-seat stadium home to the Los Angeles Galaxy that will serve as the team’s temporary home. Leading the team through this period of change will be Lynn, who has shown the ability to deal with change and adversity.

He started this past season as the Buffalo Bills’ running backs coach, then got the chance to call plays for the first time in his 16 years as an assistant when offensive coordinator Greg Roman was fired. With one game left in the regular season, Lynn was promoted to interim head coach following Rex Ryan’s exit.

At the time, it was happening so fast, I didn’t think that much about it,” Lynn said. “But looking back, it definitely helped me adjust and adapt to different situations and get the most out of those situations.

“I had to adjust on the move and I had to adapt and figure out how to get the best out of the personnel and lead the guys and organize and even the coaching staff, organize the coaching staff.”

The Chargers are hoping that what Lynn lacks in play-calling experience he makes up for in leadership and enthusiasm. Those traits were consistently praised by president of football operations John Spanos and general manager Tom Telesco, looking to inject new life into a team that has won just nine games over the past two seasons.

As soon as the interview with Coach Lynn was over, we were confident we had found our guy,” Telesco said. “There’s a lot to like about Coach Lynn, I know for me, what jumped out immediately was his leadership. That was something we were really looking for, someone who can come here as a head coach and lead this team.”

Likewise, Lynn felt an immediate connection following his meeting with Chargers’ brass.

“I knew this was the right place for me early on in the interview when I asked one simple question, ‘What are you looking for in a head coach?’” he said. “I felt like they described me and I had to hold back my excitement, but I knew I wanted to be a Charger at that time.”

Los Angeles will be Lynn’s seventh stop in the league, a journey that began with the Denver Broncos as a special teams coach under Mike Shanahan, and then took him to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Bill Parcells’ Dallas Cowboys, the Cleveland Browns and Ryan’s New York Jets and Buffalo Bills. And it was the legendary Bill Walsh who noticed Lynn’s coaching aptitude as a running back with his San Francisco 49ers.

The challenges faced by this franchise in flux are many and it remains to be seen just how the Chargers will fit into the L.A. sports landscape, particularly with the recent addition of the Rams. Thus far, the reception in the City of Angels has been less than kind, with social media roasting the logo unveiled Thursday and fans at Saturday’s Lakers-Clippers game at Staples Center booing the team’s new logo and tight end Jeff Cumberland when they appeared on the Jumbotron.

“We know coming here, we’re going to have to build a fanbase literally one by one, one adult at a time, one child at a time,” Telesco said. “The way we’re going to do that on the football side is by playing an exciting brand of football and win. We think Anthony can lead us to winning.”

Though Lynn said he has not seen the response to the move, online and otherwise (apparently there are no TVs or computers or smartphones at whatever hotel he has been staying at), he too recognizes the potential pitfalls.

“I know that it’s not going to be easy, coming in and transitioning and the whole nine, but I really think that we can turn that adversity into something positive,” Lynn said. “My players will become closer and our staff will become closer and our organization through this whole move and transition. Guys are so excited to come here and play right here on this stage that we have in Los Angeles.”

Lynn confirmed that offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt will be retained, and said he hopes to finalize the rest of his coaching staff by the end of the week.

And, given all the questions about how the Chargers will establish themselves in their new market, Lynn had a simple response.

“We’re gonna win,” Lynn said. “That’s the best way to sell.”

Easier said than done.