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San Diego Chargers Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer has made two additions to his coaching staff. Clancy Barone replaces Rob Chudzinski as the team’s tight ends coach and Matt Simon takes over for Clarence Shelmon as running backs coach.
Chudzinski left the Chargers last month after being named offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns and Shelmon was promoted to offensive coordinator following the departure of Cam Cameron to take the Miami Dolphins’ head coaching job.
“Clancy Barone is very, very bright,” said Schottenheimer. “He’s articulate and presented himself extremely well in his interview. I was contacted by a couple of people in Atlanta who explained that they felt he was a terrific teacher. All of that was substantiated in the time I spent with him. He’s been around a high-profile tight end in Alge Crumpler and did a very nice job in that situation. I think that’s going to enable him to make a seamless transition here with Antonio Gates.”
Barone comes to the Chargers from the Atlanta Falcons where he was the assistant offensive line coach in 2004 and the tight ends coach from 2005-06. In San Diego, he will work with three-time Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates, who was the Chargers’ leading receiver in 2006 with 71 catches, 924 yards and nine touchdowns.
Barone has experience in working with Pro Bowl tight ends as he spent the last two seasons tutoring the Falcons’ leading receiver, Alge Crumpler. This season, Crumpler was chosen to start his third straight Pro Bowl after leading the Falcons with 56 catches, 780 yards and eight touchdowns. He had his best game of the season on Oct. 22 against the defending Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, hauling in six passes for 117 yards and three touchdowns. In 2005, Crumpler led the team with 65 catches, 877 yards and five scores. A big-play weapon in Atlanta’s offense, Crumpler’s 13 receptions of 20+ yards in 2006 were second in the NFL to Gates’ 14.
“He’s a real technician, a student of the game,” said Crumpler of Barone. “He taught me a lot. Gates will enjoy having him on the staff. I hated seeing him leave Atlanta. I did all I could to try to get them to keep him. He’ll be great for Antonio.”
Barone has 20 years of coaching experience, including 17 at the collegiate level.
Simon joins the Chargers after most recently coaching running backs for the Baltimore Ravens from 1999-2005. Under his direction, Baltimore rushed for an average of 1,985 yards per season and defeated the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV following the 2000 season. Baltimore rushed for at least 2,000 yards in three different seasons under Simon, including a team-record 2,674 yards in 2003 when Jamal Lewis was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Associated Press All-Pro and selected to the AFC Pro Bowl squad.
“I was extremely impressed with Matt’s presence,” explained Schottenheimer. “There was a quiet air of confidence when we interviewed him. Clarence Shelmon and I were involved in that along with (quarterbacks coach) John Ramsdell. We were very impressed with his ability to communicate the details and the fundamentals of running back play. He did an excellent job in Baltimore. Jamal Lewis had terrific success under his tutelage.”
Simon has 28 years of coaching experience, including 20 on the collegiate level. He was the head coach at the University of North Texas from 1994-97.
Clancy Barone’s Coaching Experience
2005-06 - Tight Ends, Atlanta Falcons
2004 - Offensive Line, Atlanta Falcons
2003 - Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator, Texas State University
2000-02 - Offensive Line and Offensive Coordinator, University of Houston
1997-99 - Offensive Line and Offensive Coordinator, University of Wyoming
1994-96 - Offensive Line, Eastern Illinois University
1993 - Assistant Offensive Line, Texas A&M University
1991-92 - Offensive Line, Sacramento State
1987-1990 - Offensive Line, America Rivers College
Matt Simon’s Coaching Experience
1999-2005 - Running Backs, Baltimore Ravens
1998 - Training Camp Coaching Intern, Denver Broncos
1994-97 - Head Coach, University of North Texas
1992-93 - Offensive Coordinator, University of New Mexico
1982-1991 - Running Backs and Kicking, University of Washington
1979-1981 - Tight Ends and Linebackers, University of Texas-El Paso
1978 - Assistant Coach, Borger High School, Borger, Texas
1977 - Graduate Assistant, Eastern New Mexico University
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