The Los Angeles Chargers today announced the following coaching promotions — Steve Clinkscale will be defensive passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach, Shane Day will be offensive passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach, Mike Elston will be defensive run game coordinator/defensive line coach, Josh Hammond will be assistant wide receivers/assistant special teams coach and Mike Hiestand will be defensive run game specialist.
Along with the promotions, the team added Jarrod James, Jimmy Thompson and Beau Snuggs as Alex G. Spanos Coaching Fellows for the 2026 season.
A former center at the University of North Carolina (2011-13), Jarrod James joins the Bolts after spending the 2025 season at the University of Maryland. He previously had NFL experience with the Houston Texans, working as an offensive assistant from 2022-24, helping the Texans to a pair of playoff appearances and two postseason victories. James worked with the offensive line during his first season in Houston before transitioning to help with the tight ends his final two years. He spent the 2021 season as the assistant offensive line coach at Michigan State after spending 2020 as the tight ends coach for the XFL's Los Angeles Wildcats. James coached as a member of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship Program, doing so with the Texans, Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings. James broke into coaching at his alma mater following his playing career, helping coach the offensive line as a student (2014-15) and as a graduate assistant (2016-17) for the Tar Heels.
Jimmy Thompson joins the Chargers in 2026 after spending the last five seasons coaching at Vanderbilt University (2021-25). He climbed the ranks of the Commodores coaching staff from graduate assistant (2021-22) to defensive analyst in 2023 before most recently coaching Stars/Nickels the last two years (2024-25). Thompson helped Vanderbilt finish the season with a 10-3 record and rank No. 15 in the nation, breaking into the top-10 of the Associated Press poll twice. A native of Hinsdale, Ill., Thompson played linebacker at Notre Dame University from 2015-18, playing his first two with the Fighting Irish under the guidance of Mike Elston, was the team's linebackers coach/recruiting coordinator from 2015-16. During Thompson's time in South Bend, Ind., Notre Dame went to three bowl games and made a College Football Playoff appearance. After his playing career, Thompson got into coaching at his alma mater, Hinsdale (Ill.) Central High as linebackers coach in 2019 before moving on to be a quality control coach at Louisiana State University in 2020.
A native of Charlotte, N.C., Beau Snuggs comes to the Bolts after having spent the 2025 season on the defensive staff at Western Michigan, reuniting with Defensive Coordinator Chris O'Leary. Snuggs contributed to a Broncos coaching staff that guided the team to finish with a 10-4 record and a Mid-American Conference Championship, the fourth conference title in program history. Prior to his time in Kalamazoo, Mich., Snuggs spent two seasons (2023-24) as the safeties and specialists coach at the University of Indianapolis and the 2022 season as a defensive analyst at Eastern Illinois University. He played safety at Butler University, leading the Bulldogs with three interceptions in 2019. After finishing his playing career, he broke into coaching at Carthage College, joining the coaching staff as a graduate assistant in 2021.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS 2026 COACHING STAFF
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