Brandon Staley’s rise in the coaching ranks has been remarkable. Just four years ago, he was a defensive coordinator at John Carroll University, a Division III school in Ohio. Fast-forward to now and Staley is the third-youngest head coach in the NFL at 38 years old.
The Chargers hired Staley on Sunday night, replacing Anthony Lynn at the helm. This opportunity came after only one season with the Rams as an NFL defensive coordinator, but it was well-deserved for the brilliant coach.
And given the circumstances, he would’ve been crazy to pass this chance up. It was an ideal landing spot for Staley to get his start as a head coach. The Chargers were arguably the best head-coaching job available of the seven that came open, especially for Staley.
Staley doesn’t even have to move if he doesn’t want to. Uprooting his family isn’t necessary with the Chargers sharing SoFi Stadium with the Rams, allowing Staley to stay right where he is. Yes, the Chargers’ facility in Costa Mesa is about an hour away from the Rams’ in Thousand Oaks, but depending on where Staley is located, he probably won’t have to move.
Location is just the cherry on top, though. Staley inherits one of the most promising teams in the league. On defense, he’ll go from Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey to Joey Bosa and Derwin James. Jerry Tillery is a good young pass rusher, while Casey Hayward Jr. is an elite cornerback. Nasir Adderley pairs nicely with James, and Kenneth Murray was just a first-round pick in 2020 at linebacker.
For a defensive-minded coach, there’s a ton of potential on the Chargers’ defense. And offensively, it all starts with Justin Herbert, who put together a historic rookie year. Hunter Henry will be a free agent, but there are playmakers all over the place: Keenan Allen, Austin Ekeler, Mike Williams and even Justin Jackson showed promise.
This was an opportunity of lifetime for Staley and it was one he couldn’t pass up. With the location, the team he inherits and the Chargers’ financial situation – they’ll have about $22 million in cap space if the salary cap drops to $175 million – Staley has a lot to build on.
Losing him certainly hurts the Rams, but it’s impossible to blame him for bolting after only one year.