The Los Angeles Chargers finally moved on from head coach Brandon Staley on Friday, just hours after his team gave up 63 points to the Las Vegas Raiders and lost by 42. Staley was 24-24 in his three seasons as an NFL head coach, failing to win a playoff game with Justin Herbert as his quarterback.
Despite going to the Chargers with a defensive background, Staley’s L.A. defenses weren’t impressive. The defense never ranked higher than 20th in yards allowed per game and 27th in points allowed per game in his three years. The Chargers ranked 31st in points per game allowed (24.8) and 29th in yards allowed per game (359.6) in Staley’s three seasons.
The Chargers will need a long-term fix with Staley and general manager Tom Telesco fired. Los Angeles is projected to be $42,186,936 over the salary cap heading into the offseason (per Over The Cap), having a roster full of overpaid players and massive holes that need to be addressed in the draft. Basically, the Chargers won’t be spending this offseason to fix this roster for 2024 and beyond.
Who are ideal candidates for the Chargers job given the situation? Los Angeles still has Herbert at quarterback, two great wide receivers in Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, and a franchise left tackle in Rashawn Slater. There are pieces to build around on this team.
Here are the top candidates based on the Chargers’ situation.
7. Matt Campbell
Age: 43Current role: Iowa State HC
Campbell changed the culture at Iowa State in his eight years with the Cyclones, running an NFL-style program and building it from the ground up. He’s coached Brock Purdy and Breece Hall, paving the way for those two to have NFL success.
Campbell has been courted by NFL teams, but hasn’t made the jump. He’s never coached in the NFL, but is credited for using a spread passing game with a balanced running game. The main factor that makes Campbell desirable is the culture he’s…
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