Los Angeles Chargers coach Anthony Lynn has been fired after four seasons as head coach.
Lynn signed a one-year overtime in the offseason, but the Chargers went 7-9 this season, losing seven games by one score.
He made a brave effort at the end of the season as the Chargers won their last four games. But it wasn’t enough for owner Dean Spanos, who made the announcement Monday.
“This morning I informed Anthony Lynn that we have made the decision to separate from him as head coach. I’m not sure there is anyone else in this league more respected as a human being than Anthony, and I want to express- I sincerely express my deepest gratitude for your leadership at a time of great change for our organization, “Spanos said in a statement.
“As we all know, this is a results-based business and, in a nutshell, the results of the last two years have fallen short of expectations. In the future, we will redouble our efforts to build and maintain a program of We have been innovative in many facets of our organization in recent years and we need to move it to our entire operation.Our fans should know that the Los Angeles Chargers are committed to consistent, winning football. ‘a new head coach will start immediately “.
Lynn finishes her four-year stint with the Chargers with a 33-31 regular-season record and a 1-1 postseason record. Lynn led the Chargers to a 12-4 record and a wildcard victory in the playoffs in 2018, but was unable to maintain that success, going 5-11 in 2019 and fighting again in 2020.
This season began with a punctured lung to quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who was given an analgesic injection at SoFi Stadium that twisted in Week 2, minutes before a game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
In the first round of rookies selected, Justin Herbert, who became a superstar almost immediately, started 15 games and threw for 4,336 yards and an NFL record with 31 touchdown passes. He also set the NFL rookie record to complete with 396.
“It’s a difficult situation, I believe in coach Lynn, I’ve enjoyed our time working together. I believe in that locker room and I think we’ll be better,” Herbert said Monday.
Herbert said Lynn “allowed me to step up and be a leader, taught me a lot about how to manage a conversation, how to get into it and take the lead.
“Before every game I would give him a hug (and) he would say, ‘Go have fun, go compete.’ I learned a lot from him, I’ll really miss him.”
Herbert could have saved Lynn’s job if he had gotten a few more Ws before the season, instead of getting closer to it. But it was Lynn’s own decisions that provoked harsh criticism. His clock management and play were often questioned, including Herbert’s debut, the loss of overtime against Super Bowl defenders.
In OT’s first possession, Lynn opted to bet instead of going for fourth and short. Kansas City drove 39 yards to throw a 52-yard goal to win the game 23-20.
It set the tone for the season, with the team unable to finish games. It was also a problem in 2019, when nine of the Chargers ’11 losses were for a score.
The special teams were also a disaster, as the Chargers ranked last in the league in the category, according to FPI. The team missed 12 kicks, including three extra points and nine field goals, had three points blocked (two returned by touchdowns) and returned a field goal blocked by a touchdown. The Chargers ’net average score is the worst in the NFL.
Lynn reassigned special teams coordinator George Stewart on Nov. 25 with Keith Burns in charge. But it made no difference, as the Chargers missed the playoffs for the ninth time in 11 seasons.