The jig is officially up for Jeff Fisher. The Los Angeles Rams have fired their head coach of five seasons today.
Owner Stan Kroenke released a statement:
“Making a decision such as this - especially during the season - is one of the most difficult in sports,” said Rams Owner/Chairman E. Stanley Kroenke. “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 announcement comes a day after the Rams lost to the Atlanta Falcons, which gave Fisher his 165th loss as a head coach, tied with Dan Reeves for the most in NFL history.
In five season with the Rams, Fisher had a record of 31-45-1. He did not have a winning season. His best campaign was his first year in 2012, when the then-St. Louis Rams went 7-8-1.
Reports claimed that he had received a two-year contract extension before this season, but his team’s performance dissolved any security that would have brought him. The Rams haven’t named an interim coach yet.