After the firing of head coach Brandon Staley, the Los Angeles Chargers named Giff Smith the interim head coach and JoJo Wooden the interim general manager for the remainder of the 2023 season.
Who Is the Los Angeles Chargers’ Interim Head Coach?
Smith is a 32-year coaching veteran and has been with the Chargers since 2016. In 12 NFL seasons as a defensive line and outside linebackers coach for the Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, and Chargers, Smith has coached five players to a combined 10 Pro Bowl selections — including Khalil Mack (2022) and Joey Bosa (2017, 2019-21).
This season, Smith’s outside linebacking corps has recorded 26.5 of the team’s 44 sacks, including Mack’s NFL-high 15 sacks.
Smith served as the defensive line coach from 2016-2021 for the Chargers before moving to outside linebackers in 2022. He previously worked as the Titans’ defensive line coach from 2014-2015 and the Bills’ defensive line coach from 2010-2012.
Giff got his start as a coach in 1991 as a graduate assistant in Arkansas. He coached at Georgia, Georgia Southern, Tulane, and Georgia Tech before making the jump to the NFL in 2010 as the Bills’ defensive line coach.
The Chargers decided to fire both Staley and general manager Tom Telesco following the team’s disastrous 63-21 Thursday Night Football loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. The decision ends a three-season run for Staley during which he forged a 24-24 record.
The team now sits at 5-9 overall and has clinched their first losing season under Staley. His previous two Chargers teams finished 9-8 and 10-7, the latter record in 2022.
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Following the horrible loss to the Raiders, who are going through their own in-season head coaching change, the Chargers are in danger of being eliminated from the 2023 playoff picture.
Staley was hired before the 2021 season after leading the Los Angeles Rams to the No. 1 ranking on defense.
The Los Angeles Chargers released the following statement after announcing the news of the firings.
“I want to thank Tom [Telesco] and Brandon [Staley] for their hard work, dedication, and professionalism, and wish both them and their great families nothing but the best,“ owner and chairman of the board Dean Spanos said.
“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 a 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.”
Among other notable candidates for the position were offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and special-teams coordinator Ryan Ficken. But, the Chargers have chosen to roll with Smith as they look to improve this season.
The team will take on the Bills on Saturday, Dec. 23, and hope to bounce back from the embarrassing loss to the Raiders Thursday.
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