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Chargers Fire Head Coach Brandon Staley and General Manager Tom Telesco
Head coach Brandon Staley of the Los Angeles Chargers looks on before playing against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Dec. 14, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Getty Images North America
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After an ugly 63-21 loss to the Raiders in Las Vegas on Thursday, the Chargers fired head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco less than 24 hours later.
The team announced linebackers coach Giff Smith as the interim head coach and director of player personnel JoJo Wooden as interim GM.
Telesco was fired after 11 seasons with the Chargers. He led the team to an 84-92 record and three trips to the playoffs during his tenure.
In 2021, the Chargers hired the former Rams defensive coordinator with immense promise. Staley led the team to a 9-8 record that same year and steered the Bolts to a playoff game in 2022 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Chargers lost that game 31-3 in the final two quarters.
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However, the defeat against the Raiders on Thursday proved to be the final straw. It was their fifth loss in six games.
In a post-game news conference, a reporter asked Staley if he deserved to be the coach after the loss. Staley responded with, "I don't know that." The reporter replied, "Do you think that you should be?" Staley said, "Yes."
Staley departs with a 24-24 record. The Chargers also fired Jay Rodgers, the defensive run game coordinator and defensive line coach.
In a statement, owner Dean Spanos thanked Staley and Telesco for their work, but acknowledged the difficulty of the situation.
"Doing nothing in the name of continuity was not a risk I was willing to take," he said. "Our fans have stood strong through many ups and downs and close games. They deserve more. Frankly, they've earned more."
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) December 15, 2023
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Los Angeles plays the Buffalo Bills on Saturday. Fans will see if the team will rally around their interim coach or flail into another disappointing offseason.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
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