For years, the Los Angeles Chargers have been a team that is complete on paper but was missing a great coach. In the National Football League, teams need both if they want to compete in today’s high-powered league.
When fans of the Chargers would watch their team play each week, people would often hear them state that it is unbearable to get themselves to sit through an entire game watching their defense. This was because their previous coach, Brandon Staley, was constantly losing because of bad defensive plays.
Fans have expressed their feelings about the chargers on X, including @treygriffy, who seemingly predicted the firing.
“LA Chargers have way too much talent to be losing as much as they do. Chargers need to replace Brandon Staley,” the user wrote.
Staley’s final nail in the coffin that got him fired was when the Raiders scored 63 points with a rookie quarterback and interim head coach. Although he was hired as the head coach because of his defensive play calling, Coach Staley’s record as coach was 24-24.
The downfall of Staley’s coaching career with the Chargers started after they suffered a heartbreaking defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the playoffs on Jan. 14, 2023. The Chargers were up 27-0 with only four minutes remaining in the second quarter. As time went on, the team slowly started to fall apart. In the end, the Chargers got outscored to lose the game with a final score of 31-30 Jaguars.
According to ESPN, the Chargers team owner spoke in a press conference regarding the game’s outcome.
“Losing is terrible,” Spanos said. “But the way you lose sometimes is even worse.”
With the firing, Staley is now the second Chargers head coach who has been fired midseason since 1970, joining Kevin Gilbride, who was fired in 1998. When the Chargers sought a new leader, the organization went with a National Championship coach, Jim Harbaugh.
At The University of Michigan, Harbaugh had an overall record of 89-25, along with one National Championship in 2023 versus the Washington Huskies. When the Chargers decided to go with Harbaugh because of his defensive talent, it was clear that defense was the main focus this offseason.
Moises Lantigua, a football player at Moorpark College and Chargers fan, spoke about his thoughts about the hiring.
“In my opinion, it’s a great decision by the Chargers,” Lantigua said. “After this season [and] coming short of even a wild card game, they need a new man in charge. Plus that 49ers experience and knowing Jim Harbaugh can take an NFL team to the Super Bowl. I don’t see why he can’t do the same with the LA Chargers.”
Lantigua’s thoughts on Harbaugh being the future coach and what he expects to see from this team speak for many fans as the new Chargers team is loaded with talent all over the field.
These players would include all-star quarterback Justin Herbert, a solid wide receiver Keenan Allen and a powerful running back in Austin Ekeler. The Chargers are ready to make some noise within the league and will do that with a defensive-minded coach who knows what it takes to win it all.
Chargers fans have high praise for their quarterback Herbert, but they have yet to see his full potential due to the lack of coaching. Now that Harbaugh is his coach, Herbert will finally get his team into the playoffs, where critics ridiculed him for years.
These critics have said in the past that Herbert can’t perform in the playoffs because of the heartbreaking loss to the Jaguars on Jan. 15, 2023. However, this upcoming season, he is ready to put the NFL on notice and show why he is a top-five quarterback in this league.
So, will this team reach the mountain top, grab their franchise’s first Lombardi title, and name themselves champions? Only time will tell, as the only thing getting in their way from getting there is themselves.
