The Chargers have a new head coach in Brandon Staley, former defensive coordinator for the Rams.
Who is Staley? What should fans of the Bolts know about the first-time head coach as the new leader of the team?
Here are five things to know about the 38-year old:
Made his rounds
Before making the leap to the NFL, Staley worked for 11 years as a collegiate assistant. His stops included Northern Illinois (2006-08), St. Thomas of Minnesota (2009), Hutchinson Community College (2010-11), a graduate assistant job at Tennessee (2012), John Carroll University (2013 and 2015-16) and a season at James Madison (2014).
Worked with some of the best defensive minds
Mentorship is everything if you want to be successful, and Staley was fortunate to receive that upon getting into the NFL. Staley began his career with the Bears as their outside linebackers coach, working alongside John Fox and Vic Fangio in 2017. In 2019, when Fangio was hired as the Broncos’ head coach, he followed him to Denver and became their outside linebackers coach there, too. Between the two teams, Staley worked with notables like Khalil Mack, Bradley Chubb and Von Miller.
Defensive dominance
After earning the job as the Rams defensive coordinator, Staley solidified himself as one of the top innovators in only a matter of a season. Called “The Sean McVay of Defense,” Staley was an engineer of a defense that was top-ranked in points allowed at 18.6 per game, yards allowed per game (281.9) and passing yards allowed per game (190.7). Cornerback Jalen Ramsey and defensive tackle Aaron Donald were voted All-Pro under Staley, but he helped a handful of other defenders flourish.
Former college quarterback
While he’s known for being a defensive mastermind, a part of his success is being able to see that side of the spectrum from a quarterback’s perspective, which is the position he played in 2003 and 2004 at the University of Dayton. There, he threw for six touchdown passes and three interceptions for 992 passing yards.
Cancer survivor
Staley is a cancer survivor. He overcame Hodgkin’s lymphoma in his 20s. Staley, who is married and the father of three children, was not the only person from his family who was diagnosed with it. Staley’s father is currently being treated for prostate cancer. His mother died from cancer in 2004.