Bolts From The Blue
Chris O’Leary helped the Chargers defense become one of the best in 2024, on top of getting Elijah Molden up to speed just before the start of the season.
The Chargers have suffered their first coaching loss of the offseason.
Per ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Chargers safeties coach Chris O’Leary is leaving Los Angeles and headed to Western Michigan University where he will take over as the program’s new defensive coordinator. O’Leary is coming off his first and only season with the Chargers where he was stellar in coaching up the group that included All-Pro Derwin James, Alohi Gilman, and newcomer Elijah Molden.
When the Chargers traded for Molden less than three weeks before the start of the regular season, it was O’Leary that put the work in to make sure the new Bolts defender would be ready. Not only did he get Molden up to speed, but he turned him into one of the defense’s best players this past season before a leg injury cost him the final few games on the schedule. After being a near-afterthought in Tennessee, Molden is now near the top of the list of free agents to re-sign by the Chargers this offseason.
Before landing in LA, O’Leary spent three seasons (2021-2023) coaching defensive backs at Notre Dame. He had a hand in developing current Ravens All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton and also put his fingerprints on Xavier Watts, another Irish safety who is expected to go in the first round of the 2025 draft.
