Football Writer Claims Fired Chargers Coach Brandon Staley Was Only Hired For Being White

The Los Angeles Chargers just fired head coach Brandon Staley and GM Tom Telesco after one of the most embarrassing losses in NFL history.

READ: LOS ANGELES CHARGERS PULL THE PLUG ON HC BRANDON STALEY, GM AFTER EMBARRASSING LOSS TO RAIDERS

After a disappointing 5-9 record during a season that started with expectations of a playoff spot, at minimum, it wasn’t a surprising choice by owner Dean Spanos. Especially considering the 42-0 halftime score during Thursday night’s game.

But for one football writer, the disappointing part about the Staley firing is that he was even hired in the first place. Because, you see, “if he didn’t look like Brandon Staley” he would never have been the Chargers head coach at all. Yup. We’re back to the laziest criticism in sports; someone’s in their position just because they’re white.

This criticism is as ludicrous as it is racist. But far be it for someone whose job it is to write about football to spend 30 seconds researching before making accusations of racism at others.

Inglewood, CA - Chargers head coach Brandon Staley coaches during a game against the Broncos at SoFi Stadium on Dec. 10. The Chargers lost to the Broncos 24-7. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Brandon Staley Hire Eerily Similar To Anthony Lynn Hire

The implication by Simmons is that Staley was entirely unqualified to be an NFL head coach because his resume wasn’t long enough.

Staley in the NFL was an outside linebackers coach for the Bears and Broncos, before becoming defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. In just one season, Staley helped turn the Rams defense around, finishing first in total defense. They ranked first in yards per play allowed at just 4.6 and allowed the fewest points in the league.

The Chargers, perennially an underperforming defensive team, then made the understandable decision to hire him based on that success. And in his first two seasons, Staley was 19-15, with one postseason appearance. Hardly a disaster.

But his coordinator experience is eerily similar to that of Anthony Lynn, a black coach, before he was hired by the very same Chargers organization.

Lynn had significantly more time as a position coach, but just one season as the Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator in 2016. And that one season wasn’t exactly successful either. Lynn’s Bills offense ranked 10th in points scored and 16th in yards gained, and while there were a few impressive point and yardage totals, the Bills had fewer than 340 yards in nine of 16 games.

So having more experience as a position coach and the same amount of experience as a coordinator meant Lynn not only got an interview, but was hired as head coach. But Staley, whose one year was exceptionally good, only got interviewed because he was white. Sure.

Lynn was head coach for the Chargers for four seasons, finishing 33-31 and 1-1 in the playoffs. Staley was 24-24 in two and three quarter seasons and 0-1 in the playoffs. Sounds like the problem is the Chargers, not the race of their coaches.

Always Easier To Avoid Reality

There’s a reasonable argument to be made that hiring head coaches based on one year of coordinator experience is inadvisable. But it’s not reasonable to say that a young, up-and-coming coordinator with one exceptional year of experience was only interviewed and hired because of his race.

It does a disservice to Staley, and to Lynn for that matter, to characterize coaches by their immutable characteristics instead of their accomplishments. Lynn and Staley were both eminently justifiable hires that seemed initially to be effective, before tapering off quickly.

Whoever the Chargers interview for their head coach opening, they better check with Myles Simmons first so he can make sure their experience and race is appropriate for his double standards.