LOS ANGELES — Following a historic loss on Thursday Night Football to the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders, 63-21, the Los Angeles Chargers announced they have fired General Manager Tom Telesco and Head Coach Brandon Staley.
The announcement from owner Dean Spanos comes as the Chargers have fallen to the bottom of the conference with only five wins and nine losses.
The team has named Giff Smith as the interim Head Coach and JoJo Wooden as interim General Manager. Smith was previously the team's outside linebackers coach and Wooden was already with the team as the Director of Player Personnel.
According to Spanos, the decision was not "easy" in a statement posted on Chargers.com.
"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," said Owner and Chairman of the Board Dean Spanos. "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."
The Chargers disastrous loss to the Raiders on Thursday was their 5th loss in the last 6 games and falling behind 42-0 before halftime proved too much for the ownership group to take. The 63 points scored by the Raiders were the most points allowed in franchise history.
Staley had an overall record of 24-24 for the Chargers.
UPDATE:
The Chargers were not done with the coaching overhaul. At 12:03 the team announced that it had also fired Defensive Run Game/Defensive Line Coach Jay Rodgers as well.
THROWBACK VIDEO: San Diego Chargers fans tailgate in 1981