Jim Harbaugh isn’t wasting any time rebuilding his staff. After the recent firings of two key coaches, the Chargers have made their first move by poaching a coach from the Pittsburgh Steelers. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Denzel Martin is leaving Pittsburgh to join Jim Harbaugh’s staff in Los Angeles.

“Sources: The #Chargers are hiring former #Steelers OLBs coach Denzel Martin as assistant OLBs coach on Jim Harbaugh’s staff. Martin was in Pittsburgh since 2016 and has worked with the likes of TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nate Herbig, among others. He now joins the Chargers with new DC Chris O’Leary,” Jordan Schultz stated on his X account.

In his new role, Martin will work alongside outside linebackers coach Dylan Roney and defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary. He is set to lead an impressive group of pass rushers that includes stars like Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu, and Odafe Oweh. The move also provides a familiar face for Martin, as he will reunite with former Steeler Bud Dupree, who is currently part of the Chargers‘ roster.

This hiring is part of a larger makeover of the Chargers’ defensive staff. Martin will also be joining forces with another former Pittsburgh colleague, Sean Spence, who was recently brought on as the team’s inside linebackers coach. After previously interviewing with the Dallas Cowboys this offseason, Martin’s arrival in Los Angeles brings a proven track record of developing elite defenders to a team looking to make a deep postseason run.

Martin’s journey to the Chargers began with the Steelers in 2016, where he quickly climbed the ladder from a scouting assistant to a key role as assistant outside linebackers coach by 2020, a position he’ll now hold in Los Angeles. However, before his time with the Steelers, Martin served as a recruiting graduate assistant for the Missouri Tigers in the SEC during 2015 and played linebacker for the Tigers from 2010 to 2014.

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The addition of Martin is the latest move in a significant coaching staff overhaul for Jim Harbaugh, which began last month with the dismissal of offensive coordinator Greg Roman and offensive line coach Mike Devlin.

Why the Chargers parted ways with Roman and Devlin

The Los Angeles Chargers have officially parted ways with offensive coordinator Greg Roman and offensive line coach Mike Devlin. Head coach Jim Harbaugh hinted at the changes immediately after the team suffered a 16–3 wild-card loss to the New England Patriots when he declined to give Roman a vote of confidence.

“Right now I don’t have the answers,” he said. “We’re going to look at that, at everything. It really falls on me that we weren’t at our best tonight. I don’t have the answers. I wish I did,” the coach said about the situation.

The firings, which the team made official last month, followed a season where the Chargers’ offense was plagued by inconsistency. They achieved back-to-back 11–6 regular seasons during Roman’s two-year tenure, but their offense struggled significantly in the postseason, totaling only 15 points across two consecutive playoff exits.

The firing follows a season where the Chargers’ offense was plagued by inconsistency and protection issues. 

Injuries hit the team’s offensive line hard, losing both starting tackles, Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, to season-ending injuries. This lack of stability contributed to Chargers quarterbacks being sacked 60 times in 2025, one of the highest totals in the NFL

With a revamped defensive staff featuring Martin and a new offensive direction pending, Jim Harbaugh is aggressively reshaping the Chargers’ leadership in hopes of finally overcoming the postseason struggles that have plagued the franchise.