The Los Angeles Chargers fired head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco on Friday. They also fired defensive run game coordinator/defensive line coach Jay Rodgers. The firings come after the Chargers lost to the Las Vegas Raiders Thursday night.
Giff Smith, the Chargers outside linebackers coach, has been named the interim head coach. JoJo Wooden, the team's director of player personnel, will be the interim general manager for the rest of the season.
"I want to thank Tom and Brandon for their hard work, dedication and professionalism, and wish both them and their great families nothing but the best," Chargers owner Dean Spanos said. "These decisions are never easy, nor are they something I take lightly -- especially when you consider the number of people they impact. However, we are clearly not where we expect to be and need new vision. Doing nothing in the name of continuity was not a risk I was willing to take. Our fans have stood strong through so many ups and downs and close games. They deserve more. Frankly, they've earned more. Building and maintaining a championship-caliber program remains our ultimate goal. And reimagining how we achieve that goal begins today."
Staley was 24-24 with a playoff appearance in 2002 with the Chargers. That playoff appearance ended with a comeback win by the Jacksonville Jaguars, the third-largest comeback in playoff history. Staley is the first Chargers head coach to be fired during the season since they fired Kevin Gilbride in 1998.
Staley's firing isn't surprising since the Chargers are struggling. Offensively, they have lost their quarterback, Justin Herbert, due to a fractured index finger. Defensively, the Chargers were 29th in yards allowed and 27th in points allowed entering Thursday night's game.
The Chargers are now 5-9 and have lost five of their last six games. This season is their first losing season under Staley.
(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
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