Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco were fired on Friday after the team’s embarrassing 63-21 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15 on Thursday Night Football. After news broke of the firings, Chargers owner Dean Spanos posted a message on social media about the outgoing employees, saying that Chargers fans “deserve more.”
“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,” Spanos wrote on the team’s website. “These decisions are never easy, nor are they something I take lightly — especially when you consider the number of people they impact. 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. 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.”
Brandon Staley gets fired after a nearly three-season run where the Chargers went 24-24, despite having one of the most promising young quarterbacks in the game with Justin Herbert. As for Tom Telesco, he is the GM who drafted Herbert and has been with the organization dating back to their San Diego days in 2013.
Dean Spanos and the Chargers did not immediately name an interim head coach. What we do know, though, is that with Herbert in the fold, this will likely be the most coveted job in the NFL offseason.
There have been rumors of late that the Chargers are the most likely landing spot for legendary New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick next season.