The Los Angeles Rams have fired head coach Jeff Fisher, the club announced Monday. They are the first club to making a coaching change in the 2016 season.
Special teams coordinator John Fassel has been named interim head coach.
“Making a decision such as this - especially during the season - is one of the most difficult in sports,” owner Stan Kroenke said in a statement. “I have great respect for Jeff as a coach, person, father and friend.
“He has worked tirelessly despite some challenging circumstances. He played an integral role in helping this team make history in returning the NFL to Los Angeles, and we always will be grateful for his commitment and dedication to our organization.
“However, this is the right time to make a change as our performance has not lived up to my or our fans' expectations. We all are focused on improving as an organization and building a team that makes Los Angeles proud. Our mission is to celebrate a Super Bowl title with our fans in Los Angeles. Today is the first step to bringing us closer to that goal.”
The move comes a day after dropping a 42-14 decision to the Atlanta Falcons and just a week after announcing a 2-year extension for Fisher. The Rams stand at 4-9 this season and 31-45-1 in the 5-year Fisher tenure.
In 22 years as a head coach, including a 17-year run with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans organization, Fisher is 173-165-1 with one AFC championship and six playoff appearances. He leaves the organization tied with Dan Reeves for the most losses in NFL coaching history.
With their status as the No. 1 team in the Los Angeles market secured, a state-of-the-art stadium in the works and No. 1 pick Jared Goff on the roster, the Rams' opening figures to be one of the most attractive to come in the NFL market.
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