According to Ian Rapoport, the Chargers have named OLB coach Giff Smith as their interim head coach and director of player personnel JoJo Wooden as interim general manager following the firing of Brandon Staley and Tom Telesco.
Los Angeles had some other notable coaching candidates on staff, including OC Kellen Moore and ST coordinator Ryan Ficken.
Giff, 55, got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant at Arkansas in 1991. After bouncing around to Georgia, Georgia Southern, Tulane, and Georgia Tech, Giff made the jump to the NFL in 2010 as the Bills’ defensive line coach.
He served as the Titans’ defensive line coach from 2014-2015 and was hired by the Chargers to the same role from 2016-2021. Los Angeles named him outside linebackers coach last offseason.
Wooden, 54, spent 16 years with the New York Jets and served as their assistant director, player personnel before joining the Chargers in 2013. He oversees the Chargers’ pro and college scouting departments as director of player personnel.
In New York, he served as a pro personnel assistant from 1997-1998, a pro scout from 1999-2000, a senior pro scout from 2001-2002, as assistant director of pro scouting in 2003, and director of pro scouting from 2004-2006.
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