The Los Angeles Chargers fired head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco on Friday, less than a day after the Las Vegas Raiders scored 63 points in a massive Thursday night win.
The move wasn’t a surprise given the Chargers’ 5-9 record and 27th-ranked defense, but it will send shockwaves through the team in the final month of the regular season.
After the firings were official, Chargers chairman and owner Dean Spanos posted a statement on social media explaining why he moved on from Staley and Telesco.
“We are clearly not where we expect to be … and we need new vision,” Spanos wrote. “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.”
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) December 15, 2023
Spanos’ assessment of the Chargers under Staley is correct, as Los Angeles went 24-24 in three years under Staley with only one playoff appearance and zero playoff wins.
The defense has also been especially bad under Staley, who came to Los Angeles after he was the defensive coordinator with the Los Angeles Rams.
The Chargers have never ranked better than 20th in yards allowed and 21st in points allowed – that isn’t going to cut it in a division with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Telesco, meanwhile, built a solid roster that finished with six winning seasons since 2013 but only made the playoff three times with only two playoff wins and zero AFC West titles.
Spanos and the Chargers will now look to find a better coach-GM combo to help Justin Herbert and the rest of the team.
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