A longtime NFL assistant coach, George Stewart took over as the Chargers' special teams coordinator and assistant head coach in 2017 after spending the previous 10 seasons as the wide receivers coach for the Minnesota Vikings.

Entering his fourth season with the Bolts, Stewart has coached an AFC Special Teams Player of the Week and the league leader in special teams tackles in each of the past three seasons. Last year, fullback Derek Watt tied for the league lead with 16 tackles on special teams, including five in the team's Thursday Night Football contest in Oakland. Punter Ty Long made his NFL debut in the Week 1 win against Indianapolis, handling kicking and punting duties to earn AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

Stewart tutored fourth-round pick linebacker Drue Tranquill to earn All-Rookie recognition as a special teamer from numerous outlets, including the Professional Football Writers of America, Pro Football Focus and Pro Football Journal (first-team selection). Defensive back Desmond King II had the second punt return for a touchdown of his career, becoming the eighth Charger with multiple punt return touchdowns while with the club.

In 2018, safety Adrian Phillips earned his first Pro Bowl appearance and was named a first-team All-Pro from The Associated Press and PFWA as he led the NFL in special teams tackles. Rookie kicker Michael Badgley broke the franchise record with a 93.8 field goal percentage, including a team-record 59-yard field goal. Badgley was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 14 and was named the ProFootballTalk Special Teams Rookie of the Year. Desmond King ranked third in the NFL in punt return average and was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after returning a punt 73-yards for a score in Week 13. King also garnered AP second-team All-Pro honors as a punt returner.

In his first season with the Chargers, punt returner Travis Benjamin was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after totaling 88 return yards, including a 65-yard touchdown in Week 7 against the Broncos. Punter Drew Kaser ranked third in the NFL with a punting average of 48.1 that was also the second-best single-season average in franchise history. Linebacker Nick Dzubnar (21) and running back Austin Ekeler (17) ranked first and second in the league, respectively, in special teams tackles.

A native of Little Rock, Ark., Stewart was a standout guard at the University of Arkansas from 1977-80. The Razorbacks played in four-straight bowl games during his tenure and won the Southwest Conference title in 1979. Stewart, who was named to the Razorbacks' All-Decade Team for the 1970s, earned All-SWC honors as a junior in 1979, and he was a team captain as a senior in 1980. Stewart signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted rookie in 1981 but spent the season on injured reserve.

Stewart entered the coaching ranks in 1983 as a graduate assistant at Arkansas, working under then-head coach Lou Holtz. He followed Holtz to the University of Minnesota a year later, taking over as the Golden Gophers' offensive line coach. Under Holtz, the Gophers made a rapid turnaround, finishing 7-5 and beating Clemson in the 1985 Independence Bowl, Minnesota's first bowl victory since the 1962 Rose Bowl. In 1986, Stewart joined Holtz at Notre Dame as linebackers coach. In Stewart's final season in South Bend in 1988, the Irish finished 12-0 and defeated West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl en route to being crowned national champions.

Stewart spent the first 11 seasons of his NFL career (1989-99) coaching special teams, first in Pittsburgh (1989-91) under the legendary Chuck Noll, and then in Tampa Bay (1992-95), where he also coached tight ends for two seasons, and finally in San Francisco (1996-99) where he worked under both Bill Walsh and George Seifert. Stewart helped Pittsburgh defensive back Rod Woodson earn Pro Bowl honors as a returner three straight years (1989-91), and he saw kicker Mike Husted earn All-Rookie honors in Tampa Bay in 1993.

In San Francisco, one of Stewart's star pupils was Chargers Head Coach Anthony Lynn. For the next 17 years, Stewart coached wide receivers, including three seasons in San Francisco (2000-02), four in Atlanta (2003-06) and 10 in Minnesota (2007- 16). In San Francisco, the 49ers advanced to the playoffs five times in Stewart's seven seasons, including a trip to the NFC Championship Game in 1997. Under Stewart's guidance from 2000-02, Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens was selected to three-straight All-Pro teams and Pro Bowls.

In Atlanta, the Falcons won an NFC South title in 2004 and advanced to the NFC Championship Game.