San Diego Chargers

Don Coryell achieved success everywhere he went. But his time on the San Diego Chargers is where he received the nickname of “Air Coryell”. As a head coach of the Chargers, they had four consecutive playoff appearances. This includes back to back AFC Championship appearances in 1980 and 1981. This ended a 14 year drought as the Chargers had not been to the playoffs since 1965. Furthermore, the Chargers led the league in passing yards six years in a row and seven times in total under his tenure. In nine seasons, Coryell’s Chargers were first in scoring offense on three separate occasions. The San Diego Chargers were first in total offense five times in those nine years as well. He also coached players that would eventually get selected to the Hall of Fame. This includes legendary QB Dan Fouts, TE Kellen Winslow, and WR Charlie Joiner.

Despite the lack of a Super Bowl on his resume, Coryell has had a revolutionary impact on the passing game and offensive scheme. Some of his innovations are still relevant to the NFL today. His legacy does not get enough recognition and hopefully Air Coryell can be represented in the Hall of Fame Class of 2023. If not, he certainly deserves to be enshrined soon.