After a tough game against the Raiders on Thursday, Chargers coach Brandon Staley faced a lot of pressure this season. The Chargers had a really bad loss, trailing 45-0 at halftime and losing 63-21 overall.
Seeing the team’s struggles, owner Dean Spanos made a big decision on Friday morning. He let go of Coach Staley and also General Manager Tom Telesco. The disappointing game was the last straw, leading to major changes in the Chargers’ leadership as they aim to bounce back and move forward.
NFL official also shared this news on their X handle, post:
Chargers part ways with head coach Brandon Staley.
we have named Giff Smith interim Head Coach and JoJo Wooden interim General Manager pic.twitter.com/SY27WBSWsi
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) December 15, 2023
Chargers shared information on X, post:
we have parted ways with Head Coach Brandon Staley and General Manager Tom Telesco
we have parted ways with Head Coach Brandon Staley and General Manager Tom Telesco
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) December 15, 2023
Chargers named their next head coach Giff Smith and interim General Manager JoJo Wooden.
we have named Giff Smith interim Head Coach and JoJo Wooden interim General Manager
we have named Giff Smith interim Head Coach and JoJo Wooden interim General Manager pic.twitter.com/SY27WBSWsi
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) December 15, 2023
Who is Giff Smith?
Giff Smith is the Los Angeles Chargers’ new interim head coach after Brandon Staley was fired. Previously serving as the outside linebackers coach for the Chargers, Smith had been hired by the team in 2017.
Giff Smith Previous Teams as A Coach or Coaching Career
Giff Smith’s coaching journey started in 1991 as a graduate assistant at the University of Arkansas. He also served in a similar role at the University of Georgia from 1994 to 1995. In 1996, he became the wide receivers coach at Georgia Southern University.
Moving forward, in 1999, Smith became the defensive line coach at Tulane University. By 2004, he continued in the same role at Georgia Tech.
His NFL coaching career kicked off in 2010 when the Buffalo Bills brought him on as their defensive line coach under head coach Chan Gailey. Notably, during this time, Smith played a key role in developing player Kyle Williams. However, on December 31, 2012, the entire Bills coaching staff, including Smith, was let go.
In 2014, Smith joined the Tennessee Titans as their defensive line coach under head coach Ken Whisenhunt. Then, in 2016, he became the defensive line coach for the San Diego Chargers under head coach Mike McCoy. When the team moved to Los Angeles in 2017 under head coach Anthony Lynn, Smith was retained and later promoted to outside linebackers coach in 2022 under head coach Brandon Staley.
On December 15, 2023, Giff Smith took on the role of interim head coach for the Los Angeles Chargers following the termination of head coach Brandon Staley.
