Shawne Merriman Questions Belichick, Harbaugh's Fit with Chargers to Replace Staley

Shawne Merriman doesn't think long time coaches Bill Belichick or Jim Harbaugh would be the right fit for the Los Angeles Chargers as they look for a new coach to replace Brandon Staley, who they fired on Friday.

Merriman, a former Chargers linebacker, believes Los Angeles should go in a different direction than the experienced coaches. Per TMZ, Merriman believes the Chargers should look to a younger coach.

"The game has gotten much younger," Merriman said. "If you look around, a lot of these head coaches are younger. They relate well to the players."

Belichick, who has coached the New England Patriots since 2000, is 71 years old. Harbaugh, who has coached at Michigan since 2015, is 59. There are currently 10 coaches 43 or younger in the NFL, and plenty of them are having success compared to some of the veteran coaches.

The Patriots have seemingly made a decision to part ways with Belichick at the end of the season, according to Patriots insider Tom E. Curran, so he could be a viable option for the Chargers.

Meanwhile, Harbaugh has not made any public decision about his future. The Wolverines' head coach has been under investigation for Michigan's sign-stealing saga along with a recruiting violation from 2020. He will coach Michigan as the Wolverines take on Alabama in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

Before landing with Michigan, Harbaugh was head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014.

It's not clear whether the Chargers will pursue Belichick or Harbaugh, but if they do, Merriman made it clear he would prefer a different direction.