For the second time in two years, one of the Broncos’ AFC West brethren has swooped in to snatch a member of John Fox’s coaching staff.

Last season it was the Oakland Raiders who hired Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen as their head coach. Tuesday morning Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy accepted an offer to be the San Diego Chargers next head coach.

He was then introduced Tuesday afternoon in San Diego.

McCoy cancelled a second interview with the Cardinals and informed the Broncos Tuesday morning he had accepted the position.

McCoy, 40, had interviewed with the Cardinals, Eagles and Bears previously and was known to be a candidate for the Jaguars as well. McCoy had interviewed with the Jaguars and Dolphins following the 2011 season — he interviewed with the Dolphins twice, cancelling an interview with the Raiders for the second meeting with Miami officials — but those jobs went to Mike Mularkey and Joe Philbin respectively.

McCoy was interviewed by Chargers officials in San Diego on Monday and the two sides quickly came to an agreement in principle.

McCoy was a prime candidate for several openings because of the success he had with two vastly different quarterbacks in two vastly different offenses for the Broncos. The Broncos led the league in rushing in 2011 with Tim Tebow running a read-option based offense.

And this past season, with future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning behind center, the Broncos re-tooled the playbook and finished the regular season fourth in the league in yards per game (397.9) and No. 2 in scoring (30.1 points per game). The Patriots and the Broncos were the only two teams in the league to have averaged at least 30 points per game this season.

“As I told the team … this team came a long ways and learned a lot,” said Broncos coach John Fox Monday. “I thought it was remarkable … what he (Manning) was able to accomplish. A new city, a new team, new teammates.”

McCoy’s departure means for the first time in his NFL career, Manning will have a change in his offensive play-caller. Veteran assistant Tom Moore was Manning’s play-caller for 13 of Manning’s seasons as a starter with the Colts.

The Colts did make a change when they didn’t re-new Moore’s contract in 2011, but Manning missed that season following neck surgery.

Asked this week how the Broncos would proceed if McCoy were to leave, if they would keep the same playbook, or re-tool once again with a new play-caller, Fox said;

“No different than when Dennis (Allen) left a year ago. I think that worked out all right. I don’t have any reasons to think any different.”

The Broncos have won back-to-back AFC West titles and finished the regular season this year at 13-3 as the AFC’s top seed before losing, 38-35, in double overtime to the Ravens Saturday.

Candidates to replace McCoy will include Moore, who worked with Fox on the Pittsburgh Steelers staff when Fox first became an NFL assistant in the late 80s, current Broncos quarterbacks coach Adam Gase and former Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt.

Fox also has a long-time friendship with former Chargers coach Norv Turner as well and Turner has been discussed in-house by the Broncos as a possible replacement if McCoy left, but many in the league say Turner is poised to be named Browns offensive coordinator this week.

Mike Klis contributed to this story.