Mike McCoy fired by Chargers after failing to protect leads past two seasons

The San Diego Chargers fired head coach Mike McCoy on Sunday after two poor seasons in which holding leads and finishing off games became a consistent bugaboo.

“Mike McCoy is a man of high character, and we thank him for his dedication to the Chargers,” said Chargers President – Football Operations John Spanos. “The decision to dismiss Mike was made in the best interests of our franchise. Our team’s disappointing performance has not matched this team’s potential and has fallen short of the demanding standards that we seek to impose throughout our organization. Our comprehensive search for a new head coach begins immediately.”

McCoy had back-to-back 9-7 seasons in 2013 and 2014 but finished 4-12 last season and only marginally better in 2016 at 5-11. What made that latter number so frustrating is that the Chargers held the lead in the fourth quarter in six of those losses.

In fact, since the start of the 2015 season, the team is 7-17 in one-possession games. Injuries no doubt have played a big role in the Chargers’ failures this season — they have 18 players on injured reserve — and the regression of quarterback Philip Rivers can’t go overlooked.

McCoy compiled a four-year record of 27-37 with the Chargers. They made the playoffs in his first season and upset the Cincinnati Bengals on the road but were unable to return in any of the past three seasons.

McCoy also was criticized for his somewhat laissez-faire style, which was perceived by some locally as helping create a bit too much of a laid-back atmosphere. It didn’t appear that there were ramifications for players’ chronic mistakes.

Although standbys Rivers and tight end Antonio Gates are likely to return next season, change is clearly the operative word for the franchise these days. Their future in San Diego is murky at best, and there will be a new head coach running the show — wherever the franchise ends up.

McCoy is considered a bright offensive mind, and people in the NFL haven’t forgotten that he led one of the great offenses in recent history as coordinator with the 2012 Denver Broncos. Having Peyton Manning vouch for McCoy could go a long way toward him landing in a nice spot next season to run an offense, but he might be hard-pressed to get another head-coaching job immediately.

“I want to thank Mike for his tireless work and commitment to this organization,” said General Manager Tom Telesco. “He instilled a culture of work ethic and togetherness that we can build on for years to come.”