Chargers fire former UD quarterback Staley

The Chargers hired Staley in January 2021. He was 24-25 in three seasons.

Staley led Dayton to a 16-5 record in two seasons (2003-04) as the starting quarterback. A graduate of Perry High School, northeast of Cleveland, Staley arrived at Dayton in 2001, redshirting as a freshman. He earned the starting quarterback job in 2003 as a junior and shared the job with redshirt freshman Kevin Hoyng, who would finish his career as Dayton’s all-time leading passer, in 2004.

In 2005, with one more season of eligibility remaining, Staley transferred to Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pa., where he played his final season with his twin brother Jason.

When Staley was hired, he was coaching in the same division as a another former UD quarterback, Jon Gruden. They coached against each other in 2021. Then Gruden resigned as Raiders coach after reports of homophobic, racist and misogynistic emails.

The Chargers were 9-8 in Staley’s first season and made the playoffs last season with a 10-7 mark. They are 5-9 this season.

Chargers owner Dean Spanos issued a statement after firing Staley and Telesco.

“I want to thank Tom and Brandon for their hard work, dedication and professionalism, and wish both them and their great families nothing but the best,” Spanos wrote on the team’s website. “These decisions are never easy, nor are they something I take lightly — especially when you consider the number of people they impact. We are clearly not where we expect to be, however, and we need new vision. Doing nothing in the name of continuity was not a risk I was willing to take. Our fans have stood strong through so many ups and downs and close games. They deserve more. Frankly, they’ve earned more. Building and maintaining a championship-caliber program remains our ultimate goal. And reimagining how we achieve that goal begins today.”