Former Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt will become the offensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The Chargers hired former Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy as their new coach this week.

Whisenhunt was dismissed by Arizona on Dec. 31 after six seasons. He led the Cardinals to their only Super Bowl appearance in his second season, and they won their second straight NFC West title the next year. But after a 4-0 start this season, the Cardinals lost 11 of their last 12 games to finish 5-11 for the second time in three years.

Whisenhunt was 49-53 in Arizona, including 4-2 in two playoff appearances. The Cardinals lost to Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl after the 2008 season.

Whisenhunt was also an offensive coordinator with the Steelers, and his offense in Arizona fared much better in his first three seasons when Kurt Warner was the quarterback than the last three.

With Warner, the Cardinals ranked 12th, fourth and 14th in total yards from 2007 to 2009 and seventh, third and 11th in points during that span. They didn't finish higher than 19th in yards and 24th in points in the past three years.

Whisenhunt, 50, began his coaching career as an assistant at Vanderbilt in 1995. He jumped to the NFL after two seasons, joining Ted Marchibroda's staff as tight ends coach in Baltimore in 1997. Whisenhunt spent two seasons with the Ravens, then was Cleveland's tight ends coach in 1999 and the New York Jets' special-teams coach in 2000. He went to Pittsburgh in 2001, serving as the tight ends coach his first three seasons and offensive coordinator the next three.

Information from ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter and The Associated Press was used in this report.