Chargers fire Staley, GM Telesco after TNF blowout
The Los Angeles Chargers fired head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco, the team announced Friday.
The move comes one day after a 63-21 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders dropped the Chargers to 5-9 on the season. Staley accumulated a 24-24 record with Los Angeles, and Telesco had been GM since 2013.
"These decisions are never easy, nor are they something I take lightly - especially when you consider the number of people they impact," Chargers owner and chairman of the board Dean Spanos said in a statement. "We are clearly not where we expect to be, however, and we 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."
Outside linebackers coach Giff Smith is taking over as interim head coach, while JoJo Wooden replaces Telesco as interim general manager.
Smith has been a defensive coach with the team since 2016. Wooden was hired in 2013 and held the title of director of player personnel in 2023.
Los Angeles is on pace for its worst record since Staley became head coach. The team has lost five of its last six games after a 4-4 start.
Telesco hired Staley to replace Anthony Lynn in January 2021. He was the defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams in 2020 under Sean McVay and worked as a linebackers coach for the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears before joining the Rams.
Staley helped the Rams rank first in yards per game allowed in 2020 and was vital to the their playoff run, where they lost to the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round. However, he was unable to replicate his defensive success with the Chargers.
Since Staley's arrival, the Chargers' defense ranks 27th in EPA per play, per Ben Baldwin's database. Staley has never had a top-20 scoring unit in Los Angeles.
After Staley's first season, the Chargers went on a defensive spending spree. They signed cornerback J.C. Jackson to a massive five-year, $82.5 million deal and traded for edge-rusher Khalil Mack. Jackson's tenure with Los Angeles was a disaster, as he was benched multiple times and was ultimately traded to the New England Patriots in October. The Chargers have the third-most expensive defense in the NFL in 2023, according to Over The Cap.
Staley inherited quarterback Justin Herbert, who was entering his second season after a tremendous rookie campaign. He hired quarterbacks coach Shane Day and offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi to work with Herbert. Both were fired after the team blew a 27-7 halftime lead to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2022 wild-card round. Many criticized the pair for failing to maximize Herbert's potential. He ranked 33rd out of 37 quarterbacks in air yards per attempt during their tenure.
Chargers ownership and Telesco decided to keep Staley and allow him to bring in new offensive coaches for 2023. The club hired Kellen Moore as the offensive coordinator and Doug Nussmeier as the quarterbacks coach. Los Angeles ranks 16th in points per game, a worse mark than the previous two seasons.
Telesco finishes his Chargers tenure with an 84-92 record. The 51-year-old was previously vice president of football operations for the Indianapolis Colts.
The Chargers made the playoffs three times during Telesco's tenure, going 2-3 and failing to make it past the divisional round. He selected Herbert sixth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft after a 5-11 campaign in 2019.
Herbert did not play in Thursday's contest, as the 25-year-old signal-caller suffered a season-ending finger injury in Week 14. He started every previous game during Staley's tenure.