Anthony Lynn’s football story starts in Celina, Texas, a small town about 40 miles north of Dallas. Born on December 21, 1968, he grew up watching his dad work as a mechanic while playing football became his way out and up.
His path wasn’t glamorous—undrafted out of college, bouncing between teams, mostly playing special teams. Two Super Bowl rings with Denver. Then a coaching career that’s now stretched over two decades, currently with the Washington Commanders as their running backs coach and run game coordinator.
What stands out about his journey isn’t flash or hype. It’s persistence. From an undrafted player to an NFL head coach, he’s built his reputation one running back at a time, one rushing yard at a time.
Growing Up and College Days
Lynn attended Celina High School before heading to Texas Tech University, where he played running back for the Red Raiders from 1988 to 1991. Standing 6-foot-3—tall for a running back—he brought size and physicality to the position.
In 1990, he earned All-Southwest Conference honors as a running back, his breakout season at Texas Tech. Over his four years there, he rushed for 1,972 yards and scored 20 touchdowns under legendary coach Spike Dykes.
His senior year in 1991 was derailed by a knee injury. That injury scared off NFL teams enough that he went completely undrafted in the 1992 NFL Draft. For a player who’d just been All-Conference, it was a harsh reality check.
The NFL Playing Years
Lynn entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the New York Giants in 1992 but didn’t stick with the team. He bounced around for a year before landing with the Denver Broncos in 1993.
His NFL career was exactly what you’d expect for an undrafted running back—he was a backup, a special teams guy, someone who had to fight for every roster spot. Over six seasons, he appeared in 83 career games, split between the Denver Broncos (1993-94, 1997-99) and San Francisco 49ers (1995-96).
The highlight? Being part of back-to-back Super Bowl championship teams with Denver in 1997 and 1998 (Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII). He wasn’t the star—Terrell Davis was running wild during those years. But Lynn was on the roster, contributing on special teams and as a backup, earning two rings most players never get.
After the 1999 season, at age 31, his playing days ended. Most guys would walk away from football completely. Lynn saw an opportunity.
Starting Over as a Coach
In 2000, Lynn joined the Denver Broncos coaching staff as an offensive assistant and assistant special teams coach under Mike Shanahan. Mike Shanahan, the same coach who’d just won two Super Bowls with Denver, gave Lynn his first coaching job.
It wasn’t glamorous—he was breaking down film, helping with special teams, doing whatever needed doing. But in his first season coaching in 2000, rookie running back Mike Anderson rushed for 1,487 yards and won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Lynn was learning how to develop players.
He spent three years in Denver (2000-2002) before Jack Del Rio hired him as running backs coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2003. This was his first position coaching role—not an assistant to someone else, but the actual running backs coach.
In 2003, his first year coaching the position, Fred Taylor set a career-high with 1,572 rushing yards for Jacksonville. The pattern was starting: wherever Lynn coached, running backs got better.
Building a Reputation
From Jacksonville, Lynn moved to the Dallas Cowboys (2005-06) as running backs coach under Bill Parcells. In 2006, Marion Barber led the NFC with 14 rushing touchdowns while Julius Jones ran for a career-high 1,084 yards. The Cowboys had one of the league’s best running back tandems that year.
Next stop: Cleveland Browns (2007-08). Jamal Lewis posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons under Lynn’s coaching, helping Cleveland to a 10-6 record in 2007.
But his longest and most impactful stint came with the New York Jets from 2009 to 2014. From 2009 to 2013, with Lynn as running backs coach, the Jets’ running game produced an NFL-leading 137.0 yards per game. That’s not one good year—that’s five straight years of elite rushing production.
In 2013, Lynn helped Chris Ivory rush for 833 yards on 182 carries. He worked with LaDainian Tomlinson at the tail end of his Hall of Fame career. He developed Danny Woodhead, Shonn Greene, Bilal Powell—guys who became productive NFL backs under his coaching.
On February 1, 2012, Rex Ryan promoted him to assistant head coach while keeping him as running backs coach. The Jets organization clearly valued what he brought.
The Buffalo Bills and Breaking Through
When Rex Ryan left the Jets for Buffalo, Lynn followed him in 2015 as running backs coach and assistant head coach. The Bills’ rushing attack exploded.
In 2015 and 2016, the Bills led the entire NFL in rushing yards (2,432 in 2015 and 2,630 in 2016), rushing touchdowns (19 in 2015 and 29 in 2016), and yards per carry (4.8 in 2015 and 5.3 in 2016). Two straight years at number one in every major rushing category. According to the official Washington Commanders team page, his teams have combined for the most rushing yards over a seven-year span during his time with the Jets and Bills.
On September 16, 2016, when Buffalo fired offensive coordinator Greg Roman, Lynn was promoted to offensive coordinator while keeping his assistant head coach title. He got to call plays for the final 14 games that season.
When asked about his offensive identity, Lynn responded: “I want to play smart, physical football”—a philosophy that summed up his entire coaching career.
His interim head coaching opportunity came unexpectedly at the end of the 2016 season when Rex Ryan was fired. Lynn coached the Bills’ final regular season game, a 30-10 win over the New York Jets. It was his audition for head coaching jobs.
The Los Angeles Chargers Head Coach Era
On January 12, 2017, the Los Angeles Chargers hired Lynn as their 16th head coach in franchise history. The timing was complicated—the team had just relocated from San Diego to Los Angeles, creating logistical challenges and angry fans left behind.
His first season in 2017 was rough. The Chargers went 9-7 but missed the playoffs. They played home games in a tiny soccer stadium while trying to build a fanbase in LA. It wasn’t easy.
But in 2018, Lynn led the Chargers to a 12-4 record, earning their first playoff berth since 2013. According to Pro Football Reference‘s coaching records, this was the Chargers’ best season record since 2009.
The Chargers defeated the Baltimore Ravens 23-17 in the wild card round before losing to eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots 41-28 in the divisional round. Still, Lynn had taken a franchise in turmoil and made them winners again.
Under his leadership, two players won major awards: Keenan Allen won Comeback Player of the Year in 2017, and Justin Herbert won AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2020.
But 2019 was a disaster—5-11, last place in the AFC West. During that offseason, longtime quarterback Philip Rivers, who’d been with the Chargers since 2006, left the team.
The Chargers drafted Justin Herbert sixth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. Herbert became the starter unexpectedly after Tyrod Taylor got hurt, and he exploded. Herbert set NFL rookie records with 31 passing touchdowns and 36 offensive touchdowns.
Despite Herbert’s historic rookie season, the Chargers finished 7-9 in 2020, third in the AFC West, winning their final four games but missing the playoffs.
On Monday, January 4, 2021, the Chargers fired Lynn after four seasons with an overall record of 33-31. The firing felt harsh—he’d just developed a potential franchise quarterback in Herbert—but ownership wanted a new direction.
Life After Head Coaching
After getting fired, Lynn didn’t stay unemployed long. The Detroit Lions hired him briefly in 2021 before he joined the San Francisco 49ers as assistant head coach and running backs coach from 2022-2023.
In 2023, Lynn worked with Christian McCaffrey, who won Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year, led the league with 1,459 rushing yards, and made First Team All-Pro. Once again, Lynn’s running backs thrived under his coaching.
On February 15, 2024, the Washington Commanders hired Lynn as their run game coordinator and running backs coach under new head coach Dan Quinn. He’s currently in his second season with Washington as of January 2026, working with Brian Robinson Jr. and the Commanders’ rushing attack.
Personal Life
Lynn has two children from a previous marriage—a son named D’Anton and a daughter named Danielle. D’Anton followed his father into football, playing at Penn State before signing with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2012, though he was released shortly after.
Anthony married journalist Stacey Bell on March 5, 2011, in Dallas, Texas. They’ve been together now for nearly 14 years as of early 2026.
In August 2005, while working as an assistant coach for the Dallas Cowboys, Lynn survived a serious accident. On August 20, 2005, during Cowboys training camp, Lynn was a victim of a hit-and-run automobile accident. He and fellow assistant Todd Haley were out for pizza in Ventura, California, after training camp when the accident occurred. He recovered and continued coaching.
What His Career Teaches
Lynn’s story isn’t about being the most talented guy in the room. He was an undrafted player who carved out a six-year NFL career through persistence and work ethic. He won two Super Bowls as a backup player.
As a coach, he’s become one of the NFL’s most respected running game experts. Wherever he goes, the running game improves. It’s happened in Jacksonville, Dallas, Cleveland, New York, Buffalo, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and now Washington.
He’s coached Pro Bowl running backs, Offensive Player of the Year winners, and Rookie of the Year quarterbacks. His teams have led the league in rushing multiple times. That consistency over 25 years of coaching speaks louder than any one season.
Getting fired as the Chargers head coach hurt, but he didn’t disappear. He went right back to what he does best—coaching running backs, building dominant ground games, helping young players become stars.
At 57 years old in January 2026, he’s still grinding as a position coach rather than sitting on a beach counting Super Bowl memories. That’s the Anthony Lynn story—keep working, keep improving, keep coaching football.
Physical Appearance
Anthony Lynn stands 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 meters) tall with an athletic build that reflects his background as a former NFL running back. His physical presence commands respect in locker rooms and on sidelines.
He carries himself with the confidence of someone who played the game at the highest level. His stature and demeanor project authority without aggression, a quality that has served him well throughout his coaching career.
Net Worth and Earnings
Lynn’s net worth has not been officially disclosed, but various sources estimate it in the range of $5 million to $10 million based on his decades-long NFL career as both player and coach. According to information from spotrac.com, coaching salaries at his level typically range from several hundred thousand to several million annually depending on the role.
As the Washington Commanders’ run game coordinator and running backs coach, he earns a salary comparable to other experienced assistant coaches in the NFL. His previous role as Los Angeles Chargers head coach from 2017 to 2020 likely provided his highest earning years, as NFL head coaches typically earn between $4 million and $13 million annually according to industry reporting.
His earnings have accumulated over a 26-year NFL career spanning playing, assistant coaching, coordinator roles, and head coaching positions. Like most coaches, his contracts are fully guaranteed, meaning he received full payment even after being dismissed from the Chargers in 2021.
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