Marty Schottenheimer spent Monday conducting his exit interviews. The players’ exit, not his own.

Not yet, anyway.

One of Schottenheimer’s questions should have been directed to nearly every Charger but LaDainian Tomlinson: “Why did you play like an idiot Sunday?”

Might as well let it fly. There isn’t much to lose at this point.

General Manager A.J. Smith and Schottenheimer are rarely seen at the same coffee machine, and it would have surprised nobody if Smith had announced the dreaded “new direction” of the Chargers on Monday.

Or at about 6 p.m. Sunday, after the Chargers botched their AFC semifinal game, 24-21, to the grateful New England Patriots. In fact, many San Diegans seem to know the new coach will be Wade Phillips, congenial defensive coordinator who has been the big boss twice before.

Phillips was 16-16 in Denver and 29-19 in Buffalo, where Smith was John Butler’s assistant at the time. Phillips also was 2-1 as the stopgap in Atlanta when Dan Reeves was fired in 2003.

Phillips was the victim of the “Music City Miracle,” when Tennessee ran an illusionist kickoff return to knock the Bills out of the 1999 playoffs. That triggered the dominos that became a bobsled that ran Phillips out of Buffalo a year later.

So if the Chargers really fire Schottenheimer, Phillips would be a credible choice, especially since he supervised the Chargers’ defensive development. They went 4-0 when Shawne Merriman was caught for performance-dance enhancement and suspended.

Schottenheimer has one contract year left. If the Chargers were going to give him more, they would have done so by now.

Still, let’s step back and look at this.

Smith would be applying the Big Haircut to a coach who has won 200 regular-season games, behind only Don Shula, George Halas, Tom Landry and Curly Lambeau, and Lambeau never had to coach Drayton Florence.

It’s amusing to hear Chargers fans complain about playoff failures. How about playoff games?

Schottenheimer has coached San Diego’s only two in the past 11 seasons. The Chargers were 35-13 the past three seasons with two playoff showings. A third was probable if Smith hadn’t suspended tight end Antonio Gates for holding out, thus costing San Diego an opening victory over Dallas in 2005.

Before Marty, San Diego’s previous winning season was 9-7, in 1995.

Smith is justifiably proud of his muscular roster. It still has holes, and New England was just the team to expose them.

But if Schottenheimer’s failing is that he’s not Bill Belichick, then 31 NFL coaches should get whacked each year.

If Smith acts quickly Schottenheimer can still get into the jobs game. You would think the Steelers would have to call, at least, since Marty is from the ‘Burgh and was the mentor of 15-year Steeler coach Bill Cowher. Perhaps Schottenheimer and the Chargers could meet in some down-the-road playoff. The theme will be obvious, even if the truth isn’t.