The San Diego Chargersdecided to retain general manager A.J. Smith and head coach Norv Turner, but defensive coordinator Greg Manusky wasn't as fortunate.
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The Chargers fired Manusky after one season, the team announced Thursday.
"I'd like to thank Greg for the passion and enthusiasm he brought to our team and coaching staff this past season," Turner said in a statement.
After leading the NFL in total defense in 2010, the Chargers finished 22nd overall in scoring defense (23.6 points per game) and 16th in total defense (346.6 yards per game) during a disappointing season in which they missed the playoffs for the second straight year. The defense especially struggled on third down, falling to last in the NFL after finishing fourth overall in 2010.
According to U-T San Diego, some Chargers players overwhelmingly wanted Manusky gone and endorsed linebackers coach John Pagano and defensive backs coach Steve Wilks as in-house replacements.
Manusky was the San Francisco 49ers' defensive coordinator from 2007-10 but took over in San Diego for Ron Rivera, who was hired as the coach of the Carolina Panthers.
