Anthony Lynn facts for kids
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Lynn in 2017
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| Washington Commanders | |||||||||
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| Position: | Run game coordinator | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | December 21, 1968 McKinney, Texas, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 230 lb (104 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Celina (Celina, Texas) | ||||||||
| College: | Texas Tech (1988–1991) | ||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1992 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| As coach: | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Head coaching record | |||||||||
| Regular season: | 33–32 (.508) | ||||||||
| Postseason: | 1–1 (.500) | ||||||||
| Career: | 34–33 (.507) | ||||||||
| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
| Coaching stats at PFR | |||||||||
Anthony Ray Lynn (born December 21, 1968) is an American football coach. He used to be a professional running back player. Currently, he is the run game coordinator and running backs coach for the Washington Commanders. This team is part of the National Football League (NFL).
Lynn played running back for the Texas Tech Red Raiders in college. He then played in the NFL for six seasons. He mostly played for the Denver Broncos. With the Broncos, he won two Super Bowl championships: Super Bowl XXXII and Super Bowl XXXIII. After he stopped playing in 2000, Lynn became a coach. He later became the head coach for the Los Angeles Chargers from 2017 to 2020.
Contents
- Playing Career Highlights
- Coaching Journey
- Denver Broncos Assistant Coach
- Jacksonville Jaguars Running Backs Coach
- Dallas Cowboys Running Backs Coach
- Cleveland Browns Running Backs Coach
- New York Jets Coach
- Buffalo Bills Coach
- Los Angeles Chargers Head Coach
- Detroit Lions Offensive Coordinator
- San Francisco 49ers Assistant Head Coach
- Washington Commanders Coach
- Personal Life
- Head Coaching Record
Playing Career Highlights
Anthony Lynn played football at Celina High School. He then played for the Texas Tech Red Raiders from 1988 to 1991. In 1990, he was named an All-Southwest Conference running back. His final year in college was cut short because of a knee injury. This injury made it harder for him to be drafted by an NFL team.
Lynn played as a reserve running back and on special teams in the NFL. He played for the Denver Broncos (1993, 1997–1999) and the San Francisco 49ers (1995–1996). He stopped playing football in 2000. This was because of repeated neck injuries. Lynn was a key part of the Denver Broncos teams that won two Super Bowls in a row in 1997 and 1998.
Coaching Journey
After retiring as a player in 2000, Anthony Lynn began his coaching career.
Denver Broncos Assistant Coach
Lynn started coaching with the Denver Broncos. He worked as an offensive assistant and special teams coach from 2000 to 2002.
Jacksonville Jaguars Running Backs Coach
From 2003 to 2004, Lynn coached the running backs for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He left the team in 2005. This happened after the head coach, Jack Del Rio, changed the coaching staff.
Dallas Cowboys Running Backs Coach
After leaving Jacksonville, Lynn quickly joined the Dallas Cowboys. He became their running backs coach from 2005 to 2006.
Cleveland Browns Running Backs Coach
On January 26, 2007, Lynn moved to the Cleveland Browns. He became their running backs coach.
New York Jets Coach
On February 1, 2012, Lynn was named assistant head coach and running backs coach for the New York Jets. He worked under head coach Rex Ryan. From 2009 to 2013, while Lynn was the running backs coach, the Jets had a very strong running game. They led the NFL with 137.0 rushing yards per game. In 2013, Lynn helped player Chris Ivory gain 833 rushing yards.
Buffalo Bills Coach
When Lynn did not get the head coach job for the New York Jets, he followed Rex Ryan to the Buffalo Bills. He took the same role as running backs coach. The Bills had the best rushing game in the NFL during the 2015–2016 season.
On September 16, 2016, Lynn was promoted. He became the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator for the Bills. He wanted his offense to play smart, physical football. He also wanted them to be explosive and play faster. Lynn's first game as offensive coordinator was a 33–18 win against the Arizona Cardinals. On December 27, 2016, Lynn was named interim head coach after Rex Ryan was fired.
Los Angeles Chargers Head Coach
Anthony Lynn was a popular candidate for head coaching jobs. On January 12, 2017, he was hired as the new head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. This was the same day the team announced it was moving from San Diego to Los Angeles. Lynn became the first African-American head coach in the Chargers' history.
In his second season, 2018, Lynn led the Chargers to a 12–4 record. This was their first playoff spot since 2013. They beat the Baltimore Ravens 23–17 in the wild card round. However, they lost to the New England Patriots in the divisional round. The Patriots later won Super Bowl LIII.
In 2019, the Chargers did not make the playoffs. They finished last in their division with a 5–11 record. After that season, the team's longtime starting quarterback, Philip Rivers, left the team. In the 2020 NFL draft, the Chargers picked quarterback Justin Herbert.
In 2020, the Chargers finished with a 7–9 record. They won their last four games of the season. On January 4, 2021, Lynn was fired by the Chargers. His record as head coach was 33 wins and 31 losses in the regular season. In the playoffs, he had 1 win and 1 loss.
Detroit Lions Offensive Coordinator
On January 23, 2021, Lynn was hired by the Detroit Lions. He became their offensive coordinator. On January 10, 2022, the Lions announced that Lynn and the team were parting ways.
San Francisco 49ers Assistant Head Coach
On February 4, 2022, Lynn joined the San Francisco 49ers. He was hired as their assistant head coach. He also took on the role of running backs coach when Bobby Turner took time off for health reasons. Turner later returned, and they shared the coaching duties.
In February 2023, the Washington Commanders asked to interview Lynn. They were looking for an offensive coordinator. The job went to Eric Bieniemy. However, the next season, the Commanders and Bieniemy parted ways. Lynn was then hired for the role of run game coordinator.
Washington Commanders Coach
On February 15, 2024, Lynn was hired by the Washington Commanders. He became their run game coordinator and running backs coach. He works under head coach Dan Quinn.
Personal Life
Anthony Lynn has a son named D'Anton Lynn and a daughter named Danielle. He married journalist Stacey Bell on March 5, 2011. His son, D'Anton, played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions. He was briefly signed by the New York Jets after the 2012 NFL draft. Anthony Lynn supported his son's football dreams. He taught him about the hard work needed to be a professional player.
On August 20, 2005, Lynn was involved in a car accident. He was crossing the street after training camp. He was hit by a car. Lynn suffered serious injuries, including two collapsed lungs. He also had facial and shoulder damage. He even had temporary paralysis in his lower body. He needed four surgeries to recover. Amazingly, Lynn returned to coaching less than two weeks later. His story was shared in a Verizon advertisement during Super Bowl LIII in 2019. In the ad, he met the first responders who helped him.
On May 12, 2018, Lynn earned his Bachelor of Arts degree. He graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Head Coaching Record
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| BUF* | 2016 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 3rd in AFC East | — | — | — | — |
| BUF total | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | .000 | |||
| LAC | 2017 | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 2nd in AFC West | — | — | — | — |
| LAC | 2018 | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 2nd in AFC West | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost to New England Patriots in AFC Divisional Game |
| LAC | 2019 | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 4th in AFC West | — | — | — | — |
| LAC | 2020 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3rd in AFC West | — | — | — | — |
| LAC total | 33 | 31 | 0 | .516 | 1 | 1 | .500 | |||
| Total | 33 | 32 | 0 | .508 | 1 | 1 | .500 | |||
* – Interim head coach
