Written by Conor Orr at NFL.com
The Rams stunned the football world on Monday afternoon, firing long-time head coach Jeff Fisher just a few months after handing him a two-year contract extension. Just last week, Fisher confirmed he signed that deal before the start of the 2016 season.
Special teams coordinator John Fassel, the son of former Giants head coach Jim Fassel, has been named the team’s interim head coach.
“This was solely based on performance,” said Kevin Demoff, Rams executive vice president of football operations, during a news conference Monday. “Today was the best chance to move forward and finish the season with some direction and hope. It’s unfortunate for him today because this is an organizational failure … this is just not about the head coach and coaching staff. We have to improve across the board.”
Demoff went on to say that the Rams losing eight of its last nine games ultimately “tipped” the decision to get rid of Fisher. In addition, when asked if general manager Les Snead could be in jeopardy, Demoff said “it would be a mistake to say anybody in the building would be back next year.”
The 58-year-old Fisher has been in charge of the club since 2012 and in that time compiled a 31-45-1 record with zero playoff appearances. He burned through a No. 1 overall pick at quarterback which he inherited (Sam Bradford) and selected Jared Goff with the top selection in this year’s draft.
In a lot of ways, Fisher left the team no choice. The Rams had to decide between staying the course, which has not allowed them to sniff the postseason in this decade, or offer a lifeline to the team’s budding young stars on offense and defense. No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff, last year’s Rookie of the Year Todd Gurley, wide receivers Tavon Austin and Kenny Brittand defensive tackle Aaron Donaldwould make up an enticing foundation for any head coach on the market. They’re likely gambling on the hope that someone can turn the franchise around before the 2019 opening of their new stadium in Los Angeles.
Fisher recently said that the team had to “do a better job from a personnel standpoint,” but ultimately took responsibility for the club’s win-loss record. The Rams now join the Titans and Buccaneers, who also fired their head coaches a season after selecting a quarterback No. 1 or No. 2 overall in the draft.
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