Brandon Staley Coaching Career: Exploring Chargers' HC's journey in NFL 

Brandon Staley is the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers and one of the youngest head coaches in American sports. The Dayton alum has been coaching since 2006 when he earned the role of graduate assistant at Northern Illinois. Since then, Staley has become one of the brightest defensive coaching minds in the NFL.

Brandon Staley has coached in the National Football League since 2017, when he was appointed as the outside linebackers coach of the Chicago Bears. He has since moved up the ranks to become a full-time head coach. Here's a deep dive into the coaching career of one of the youngest head coaches in professional football:

Brandon Staley's coordinator and assistant coaching career

Brandon Staley got his start in the NFL in 2017 when he was employed by the Chicago Bears as their outside linebackers coach. This was a jump from his previous role at James Madison University, Virginia, where he served as the defensive coordinator/linebackers coach. Staley stayed in Chicago till 2019, after which he accepted an offer from the Denver Broncos to become their outside linebackers coach under mentor and friend Vic Fangio.

Staley's time with the Broncos was productive, and the franchise's outside linebackers significantly improved during his spell there. His performances were there for the whole league to see, and Staley was approached by the Los Angeles Rams in 2020.

Staley accepted the Rams' offer, and on January 16, 2020, he replaced Wade Phillips as the Rams' defensive coordinator under HC Sean McVay. Staley spent just a season with the Rams, but his impact was felt in the franchise and around the NFL. He helped lead the LA Rams to first in points and total yards allowed. This led to many head coach offers, making him a hot commodity in the league.

Brandon Staley's head coaching career

Eventually, the Los Angeles Chargers won the Brandon Staley sweepstakes, signing the highly touted defensive coordinator on a contract to become their head coach. Staley joined ahead of the 2021 NFL season, replacing Anthony Lynn.

Upon joining the Chargers, Staley was entrusted with one of the best offensive teams in the NFL, with the likes of Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen, and Austin Ekeler being the envy of many. Their roster and Staley's expertise made the Chargers look like a postseason franchise for the near future.

Staley had a decent first season as Chargers' head coach, finishing the year with a 9-8 record and coming eerily close to a playoff berth. However, the Chargers fumbled a huge opportunity when they lost to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 18. Staley made some questionable calls in the game but was forgiven by the Chargers fan base.

In 2022, the Chargers finished with an even better regular season record, going 10-7 to finish second in the stacked AFC West. The Chargers thus earned a wild card round matchup against Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Chargers opened the game with a 27-0 lead but managed to blow it, losing 31–30 with a field goal as the game clock expired; so much for Brandon Staley, the defensive expert.

The Chargers' 2023 season has been even worse, with the franchise opening the season with a 5-8 record. There have been calls for Staley to lose his job, and these calls will only get louder if he doesn't turn around the team's fortunes in due time.

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