Los Angeles Chargers coach Anthony Lynn was 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 with a score.
He made a brave effort at the end of the season as the Chargers won the last four games. But it wasn’t enough for owner Dean Spanos, who made the announcement Monday.
“This morning I informed Anthony Lynn that I had made the decision to part with him as head coach. I’m not sure there is anyone else in this league who is more respected as a human being than Anthony and I want to honestly express the most deep gratitude for his 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 simply the results of the last two years have not lived up to expectations. Going forward, we will redouble our efforts to both build and maintain a program. We have been innovators in many facets of our organization in recent years and we need to pass them on to our entire operation.Our fans need to know that the Los Angeles Chargers are dedicated to consistent and winning football.The search for a new head coach will begin immediately. “
Lynn ends her four-year stint with the Chargers with a 33-31 regular season record and a 1-1 post-season score. Lynn led the Chargers to a 12-4 record and a wild-card playoff victory in 2018, but failed to sustain that success, going 5-11 in 2019 and fighting again in 2020.
This season began with a perforated lung for defender Tyrod Taylor, who was given a pain relief injection at SoFi Stadium, which broke down in Week 2, a few minutes before a game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
In the choice of the first round of the debutant, Justin Herbert, who became a superstar almost immediately, started 15 games and threw for 4,336 meters and recorded 31 touchdown passes for the Nook-record. He also set the NFL rookie record for 396 finishes.
“It’s a difficult situation, I believed in coach Lynn, I enjoyed working together. I believe in this locker room and I think we will be better,” Herbert said on Monday.
Herbert said that Lynn “allowed me to step up and be a leader, it taught me a lot of things about how to manage a pile, how to get in there and take the lead.
“Before each match I gave him a hug (and) he said: ‘go have fun, go to the competition’ I learned a lot from him, I will really miss him. “
Herbert could have saved Lynn’s job by securing a few more Ws earlier in the season, rather than approaching. But Lynn’s own decisions drew harsh criticism. His watch and game management was often called into question, including in Herbert’s debut, a loss of overtime to Super Bowl champions.
In OT’s first possession, Lynn chose to go for the fourth and short for her. Kansas City led 39 yards to hit a 52-yard goal to win the game 23-20.
It set the tone of the season, the team being unable to finish the games. It was also a problem in 2019, when nine of the 11 charger losses had a score.
The special teams were also a disaster, as the Chargers ranked last in the league in the category, according to the REIT. The team missed 12 shots, including three extra points and nine field goals, had three blocked points (two returned for touchdown) and had a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown. The average Chargers net score is the worst in the NFL.
Lynn assigned the special teams coordinator, George Stewart, on November 25, with Keith Burns taking over. But it made no difference, as the Chargers missed the playoffs for the ninth time in 11 seasons.