The Los Angeles Chargers on Friday, December 16, 2023, announced that they have parted ways with Brandon Staley and Tom Telesco.
Former Georgia Southern University player and coach, Giff Smith, the Chargers outside linebackers coach, was named the Chargers Interim Head Coach.
JoJo Wooden, the Bolts Director of Player Personnel, will serve as the Chargers Interim General Manager.
Both Smith and Wooden are beloved inside the building.
Smith has been with the Chargers as a defensive coach since 2016. He was the team's defensive line coach from 2016 to 2021 before moving to outside linebackers coach in 2022.
He helped develop Joey Bosa and has played a key role in Khalil Mack's stellar season, as the Bolts outside linebacker leads the NFL with 15.0 sacks.
Smith is a straight shooter with a Southern drawl. He was a stud edge rusher at Georgia Southern, where he was a three-time All-American and helped the Eagles win a pair of national titles.
He then transitioned to coaching, excelling in both the college and pro ranks.
With three regular-season games left, there is little doubt that the Bolts will play hard for Smith.
And that Smith will bring a strong message to the locker room.
"I think the mentality of our group is dominating every play," Smith told Chargers.com in May about his position group. "I don't want what we call 'ride the rollercoaster.' Can't be up and down right there, we want to steadily gain right there.
"When we're put in run or pass with a 1-on-1 block, we should dominate. That's non-negotiable," Smith added.
Wooden, who joined the Chargers in 2013, will oversee the Bolts front office through the end of the season and into the offseason as jobs get figured out.
Prior to Los Angeles, he spent 16 seasons with the New York Jets (1997-12), including the last six as their assistant director, player personnel. He originally joined the Jets in 1997 and served as a pro personnel assistant (1997-98), pro scout (1999-00), senior pro scout/AFC (2001-02), assistant director of pro scouting (2003) and director of pro scouting (2004-06).
Smith and Wooden will handle things in the short term for the Chargers as the 2023 season comes to a close.
Giff Smith - Georgia Southern Athletics Hall of Fame
- A four-year football letterman from 1987 to 1990.
- A three-year starter at defensive end and a three-year All-America performer.
- Named to Associated Press (first-team ‘89-90, honorable mention ‘88)
- Football Gazette (first-team ‘90, second-team ‘88-89)
- Walter Camp (first-team ‘90) national squads
- Was a starter in three consecutive NCAA Division I-AA National Championship Games (‘88, ‘89, ‘90)
- Played pivotal role in Georgia Southern's two national titles in 1989 and 1990
- Part of team which recorded NCAA's first-ever 15-0 mark
- Helped lead Eagles to 48-10 record (.828) during career.
- Set school single-game record with five sacks against UT-Chattanooga as a sophomore in 1988
- Among Georgia Southern's top five single-season (10 in ‘88) and career (23.5) leaders in sacks
- Credited with a career-best 131 tackles (65 solo) in 1988
- Followed with overall 112-tackle and 89-tackle totals in 1989 and 1990, respectively
- Recorded 34 sacks in three-year, 45-game span as a sophomore, junior and senior
- Also was responsible for seven forced fumbles, four recovered fumbles and 12 batted passes
- Established personal-best of 15 stops during 1988 NCAA I-AA National Championship contest against Furman in Pocatello, Idaho
- Other double-digit notable defensive efforts include 12-tackle performances against Nicholls State and Central Florida (1989) and an 11-tackle day against Middle Tennessee State in 1988
- Played instrumental role in Eagles' 45-15 win over Montana during I-AA semifinals at Paulson Stadium with career-best three sacks against Grizzlies
- Posted 45.5 all-time tackles for loss
- Strong playoff performer who posted 104 lifetime postseason tackles, an average of over seven per game
- Made 10.5 sacks during playoff runs in 1989 and 1990, including a unit-best six hits as a senior
- Rejoined Georgia Southern program as assistant coach in 1996 and helped Eagles to pair of Southern Conference titles in 1997 and 1998.
Days like this are not easy in the NFL for anyone involved, the Bills are up next and this team gets back to work on Monday.
