Washington Redskins Fire Head Coach Jay Gruden

The Jay Gruden era in Washington is finally over ... the Redskins fired the head coach after losing its 5th game in 5 weeks.

Surprised? No way. Washington (0-5) has been garbage this season ... and last season. And, the season before that.

But, losing to the New England Patriots at home on Sunday was the final straw for owner Dan Snyder, who fired the 52-year-old just hours after the game.

The team issued a statement saying, "Through the first five games of the 2019 season, the team has clearly not performed up to expectations, and we all share in that responsibility."

"Moving forward we are committed to doing all that we can collectively as an organization to turn things around and give our Redskins fans and alumni a team they can be proud of in 2019 and beyond."

This was Gruden's 6th season with the Redskins -- leaving his overall record with the team a crappy 35-49-1.

While the team searches for another head coach, assistant head coach Bill Callahan -- who also coaches the offensive line -- will take over head coaching duties.

Callahan famously coached the Oakland Raiders in 2002 and 2003, leaving the team to an appearance in Super Bowl XXXVII, where they were destroyed by Jay's brother, Jon Gruden, who was coaching the Tampa Bay Bucs at the time.