The awkward and unceremonious nature of most job firings -- where a person simply isn't a good fit for a certain role -- leads many to wonder what could've been done differently. In a number of cases, the individual and company were a poor fit for one another, and doomed from the start. When it comes to hiring head coaches, Chargers owner Dean Spanos needs to take a hard look in the mirror at his methods, after mercifully relieving Brandon Staley of his coaching duties with three games remaining in the 2023 season.
Nobody could've predicted Staley's final on-field moments with the Chargers would involve a 63-21 defeat to the Raiders in a bout of backup quarterbacks. Then again, this decision was a long time coming, and felt inevitable from the moment Los Angeles blew a 27-7 halftime lead to the Jaguars in last season's AFC wild-card round. Short of making a legitimate postseason run, there was no way Staley would've been able to live that debacle down.
Oddly enough, Staley's shortcomings with the Chargers were eerily similar to those of his predecessor, Anthony Lynn. Failing to win one-score games, an inability to eliminate mental miscues, and struggles to maximize budding star Justin Herbert's potential, were all reasons for Lynn and Staley's fast demise. Perhaps nobody is ever ready to be a NFL head coach, and other teams like the Bengals and Browns were rewarded for striking the iron while it was hot with Zac Taylor and Kevin Stefanski, respectively. But, for the Chargers, the hiring of both Lynn and Staley appeared questionable at the time.
Neither Lynn nor Staley had more than a season of coordinator experience -- both spent most of their careers coaching less important positions. This isn't to say running backs and linebackers aren't important. However, anticipating either guy to be the CEO of a team with insufficient oversight experience was always going to be a tall task, and one that proved to be insurmountable.
Had they been a quarterback whisperer like Dolphins wiz Mike McDaniel, who focused on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa while hiring an experienced defensive coordinator, things might've been okay. Instead, Lynn and Staley appeared to have water up to their neckline from the get-go. They failed to coach the side of the ball they originated from.
There isn't a factory producing NFL head coaches with a machine based on a distinct set of criteria. The successful ones come from different backgrounds, which makes finding the perfect balance between an impressive resume and desirable traits particularly challenging. Spanos shouldn't shy away from hiring a first-time coach just because the formula has failed him in the past.
With the likes of DeMeco Ryans succeeding in his rookie campaign with the Texans, it’s certainly possible to select the right first timer. Closely examining the combination of their qualifications and character traits will be imperative for Spanos this time around... if he wants to avoid another disaster.
Pushing general manager Tom Telesco out the door with Staley was a logical decision, as he hired three head coaches who won a combined two playoff games over his decade-long tenure. These coaches were better served as position coaches than leaders of a team, and Spanos must do better for the franchise's frustrated and starved fanbase.
The Chargers' first order of business should be getting an offensive-minded leader who can get the bad omens away from Herbert, while allowing him to thrive. Once the problems that have Los Angeles sitting 16th in the league in scoring offense are mitigated, everything else will come along with it.
The Chargers quit on Staley, and the putrid display put forth on Thursday was simply the culmination of years-long frustrations. It may prompt the franchise to be more thorough in its vetting process, which should culminate with hiring a more qualified head coach. Names like Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson are worth a look. Regardless of who Chargers decide to go with, searching for the antithesis of both Lynn and Staley is a necessity, in order to conduct a long overdue reality check.