Norv Turner

AFC West Notes: Moss, Raiders, Chargers

December 5th, 2024 at 3:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Broncos were able to contain Jerry Jeudy when they opted to use All-Pro Patrick Surtain on their former receiver, the first-year Browns contributor otherwise preyed on the team’s primary Riley Moss replacement during a dominant Monday-night showing. Free agency addition Levi Wallace struggled mightily, leading to a late-game benching and exposing an issue for a Broncos defense that had entered the game as one of the NFL’s best. The Broncos have seen Moss deliver quality play in his first season as a starter, but an MCL sprain sidelined him for Week 13. It is not certain Moss will be ready to return after Denver’s bye week.

The 2023 third-round pick is slated to need “a couple” weeks to return, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler pointing to a re-emergence against the Colts next week being in play but perhaps not a certainty. A two-week absence from an MCL sprain would be on the short end as far as recoveries go. A long-term lens reveals the Broncos nabbing an important contributor in Moss, given the looks the team’s non-Surtain corners see, but a woeful coverage effort Monday exposes a short-term issue for the wild-card contender. Denver used fifth-round rookie Kris Abrams-Draine, making his season debut, late in the game, playing him ahead of third-year cog Damarri Mathis.

Here is the latest from the AFC West:

When Antonio Pierce fired OC Luke Getsy, the Raiders installed Scott Turner as the interim play-caller. They also brought veteran Norv Turner out of retirement, with Scott indicating (via ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez) he spearheaded that effort. Norv, a three-time HC and Super Bowl-winning OC, had been out of the NFL since 2020. The 72-year-old coach is currently staying with his son in Las Vegas, as the Raiders attempt to find solutions on offense amid a rough season.
Norv Turner makes three former HCs on Pierce’s Vegas staff, joining Joe Philbin and Marvin Lewis. The Raiders also kept DC Patrick Graham around from Josh McDaniels‘ brief HC run while adding Getsy — the team’s second choice for OC after Kliff Kingsbury backed out during negotiations — as the top voice on offense. Getsy’s quick firing and how Pierce pieced his first staff together has drawn some internal pessimism, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. Not having much NFL coaching experience nor possessing any college HC seasoning made Pierce a historic outlier in terms of NFL HCs, and it limited his coaching tree’s reach. Pierce leaned on his former Giants HC, Tom Coughlin, for guidance in assembling his first staff. Thus far, the Raiders are 2-10, having lost eight straight. Regardless of players’ push to have Pierce move to HC, Mark Davis is likely considering making the former interim boss a one-and-done as the full-time leader.
Ladd McConkey is battling two sprains presently. The blossoming Chargers rookie has been playing through an AC joint sprain, with Fowler adding he picked up a knee sprain against the Falcons. Jim Harbaugh was vague about the second-round wideout’s status for Sunday’s Chiefs rematch, but McConkey did log a limited practice Wednesday. McConkey, whom the team traded up for in April, has 401 more receiving yards (815) than the next-closest Charger.
J.K. Dobbins will not be part of the Chargers-Chiefs rematch, being placed on IR due to a sprained knee. Prior to going down, however, the resurgent running back picked up a $150K bonus by clearing 600 rushing yards for the season, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The injury-prone RB signed a one-year, $1.61MM deal this offseason. The team has Gus Edwards, tied to a more lucrative deal, and sixth-round rookie Kimani Vidal as its top backs on the 53-man roster.

Raiders To Bring Back Norv Turner

November 5th, 2024 at 10:03am CST by Sam Robinson

Nearly 20 years after the Raiders fired Norv Turner from his HC post, they are bringing back the veteran offensive coach. As Scott Turner looms as the most likely OC fill-in, his father is coming in, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo report.

Norv Turner surfaced as a potential staff addition recently, as the Raiders determine their post-Luke Getsy path. The older Turner is coming in as an assistant, with the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore noting the Raiders are hiring him for an advisory role. Although it is not yet known if Scott Turner will be the Raiders’ new play-caller, signs are pointing to it.

This marks an unretirement for Norv Turner, 72. He last worked as the Panthers’ OC from 2018-19. Once the Panthers fired Ron Rivera that year, Norv moved into a different role as Scott became Carolina’s play-caller. Scott Turner parlayed that Panthers stint into a three-year run as Washington’s OC. The Raiders hired him as pass-game coordinator after his 2023 Commanders dismissal. With Getsy gone, the Turners appear set to play a central role in the Raiders’ second-half plans on offense.

Al Davis initially hired Turner after firing Bill Callahan, but the former Washington HC and future San Diego leader could not prevent what became an extended period of Raiders futility. Norv went 9-23 as Raiders HC, taking over an aging team that ended up saying goodbye to most of its Super Bowl XXXVII bastions — including Rich Gannon, Tim Brown, Jerry Rice and Rod Woodson — during his short HC tenure. (The Raiders traded Rice to the Seahawks during the ’04 season.) The Raiders acquired Randy Moss in 2005, and while the all-time WR great fared better under Turner than he did during a disastrous 2006 Oakland season, Davis still fired his HC ahead of a search that produced a second Art Shell HC stint — one that lasted all of one season.

Turner went just 1-for-7 in playoff berths as Washington’s HC but was 3-for-6 in San Diego. Since the Chargers canned him following the 2012 season, Turner spent time as OC for the Browns (2013), Vikings (2014-16) and Panthers before retiring from coaching. Norv’s 15 seasons of HC experience aside, his most successful coaching period came when he served as Cowboys OC under Jimmy Johnson for three early-1990s seasons during a period that doubled as the launch of the team’s ’90s dynasty.

Scott Turner, 42, will have his father and fellow ex-HC Joe Philbin to lean on, with Antonio Pierce‘s staff also including a third former HC in Marvin Lewis. Pierce said he would spend a day or two determining where he would turn for OC. Ex-Packers OC Edgar Bennett is also on the Raiders’ staff, but an announcement installing Scott Turner as the next play-caller appears imminent.

Raiders Undecided On OC, Considering Bringing Back Norv Turner

November 4th, 2024 at 12:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

With Tom Coughlin helping Antonio Pierce in 2023 and as he filled out a staff this offseason, the Raiders also hired 16-year NFL head coach Marvin Lewis as assistant HC. As Antonio Pierce became a historically unusual hire due to his lack of experience as an NFL coordinator or college HC, the former linebacker has not been shy about turning to former NFL HCs for assistance during his Raiders tenure.

Another former HC is on the second-year Raiders leader’s radar. With Luke Getsy out of the picture after just nine games, Pierce said the Raiders have not determined his OC replacement. Pass-game coordinator Scott Turner, however, should be considered a likely candidate, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore. Now, Scott’s father — three-time NFL HC Norv Turner — is believed to be on the Raiders’ radar, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes.

Scott Turner should be considered the lead candidate to succeed Getsy, Jones adds, and it would then be unsurprising if the Raiders added his father. Norv is viewed as a coach who would help in an unspecified capacity, rather than someone the team is considering to call plays post-Getsy.

The Turners worked together with the Panthers in the late 2010s under Ron Rivera; Norv served as Carolina’s OC from 2018-19 before stepping down during the ’19 slate and giving way to his son. Scott Turner became Carolina’s interim OC and then followed Rivera to Washington, where he served as the team’s play-caller for three seasons.

Now 72, Norv has 15 combined seasons of NFL head coaching experience. Given seven years as Washington’s HC, Norv later resurfaced as the Raiders’ leader (2004-05) and then replaced Marty Schottenheimer in San Diego. Norv Turner went 9-23 as Raiders HC, being in charge during the period in which the team separated from several of its Super Bowl XXXVII starters, including Rich Gannon, Tim Brown and Jerry Rice. The second of Turner’s Raiders HC seasons involved the Randy Moss acquisition. The better of Moss’ two Raiders years came under Turner, though winning proved elusive during an extended stretch of futility for the franchise.

Norv Turner coached the Chargers for six seasons, three of them producing playoff berths. Although Norv has considerable HC experience, he is also quite well known for his time as Jimmy Johnson‘s OC for the Cowboys’ 1992 and ’93 Super Bowl-winning teams.

Following his Chargers ouster, Norv Turner served as OC for the Browns (2013) and Vikings (2014-16). Although Norv Turner coached in Washington, his tenure did not overlap with Pierce’s. Washington added Pierce as a UDFA in 2001, months after Dan Snyder fired Turner. The Las Vegas HC had also considered hiring Hue Jackson this offseason but did not, adding former Dolphins HC Joe Philbin instead. If/when Scott Turner is officially elevated, the Raiders may soon have three former HCs on staff helping out as well.

NFC Coaching Turner, Peetz, Linguist, Harris,Whitted

January 30th, 2020 at 7:00pm CST by Marc Delucchi

Norv Turner will not be returning to the Panthers coaching staff, according to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic. Turner had served as a special assistant to former Panthers head coach Ron Rivera. Rivera, of course, was recently replaced by Matt Rhule and has since taken over in Washington. While nothing has been reported, it would not be a surprise to see Turner follow Rivera to the nation’s capital to work with young quarterback Dwayne Haskins.

At the same time, Carolina blocked running backs coach Jake Peetz from interviewing for other positions, per Albert Breer of SI.com. Breer adds that Rivera wanted to take Peetz with him, but Carolina general manager Marty Hurney valued Peetz and the team decided to reward him with a promotion to quarterbacks coach.

Here’s some more notes from coaching staff’s around the NFC:

The Cowboys hired Texas A&M cornerbacks coach Maurice Linguist to serve as the team’s defensive backs coach alongside Al Harris. Linguist did not have a history with either head coach Mike McCarthy or defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, but his personality impressed the pair so much that they offered him the job on the same day of his interview, according to Dallas Cowboys reporter Lindsay Cash Draper. Harris had been an assistant with Kansas City, but more notably, played under McCarthy during his tenure in Green Bay at cornerback.
Harris’ former team will be making a change at wide receivers coach. According Rob Demovsky of ESPN, the Packers have let Alvis Whitted go and have begun the process of searching for his replacement. Whitted was hired just a year ago to join Matt LaFleur’s staff, but it appears LaFleur will be going in a different direction.

Panthers Owner Discusses Coaching Change, Front Office, Future

December 3rd, 2019 at 6:38pm CST by Ben Levine

Panthers owner David Tepper was forced to make a difficult decision today, firing long-term coach Ron Rivera. Since Tepper took over ownership of the organization in 2018, he’s had Rivera on the sideline. Now, the team will turn a page and start hunting for their next head coach.

Secondary coach Perry Fewell will serve as the Panthers head coach on an interim basis. The shakeup also will see offensive coordinator Norv Turner transition to special assistant to the head coach as quarterbacks coach Scott Turner moves to offensive coordinator. When it comes to the front office, GM Marty Hurney will keep his job, but Tepper revealed that he’ll be searching for an assistant general manager and/or a vice president of football operations.

Tepper sat down with Bill Voth of Panthers.com (Twitter link) this afternoon to discuss the coaching change, the owner’s outlook for the organization, and the team’s future shuffling of the front office. We’ve snagged all of the notable soundbites below:

On why he decided to fire Ron Rivera:

“[It was] a very hard move. Ron Rivera, besides being a good coach, is one of the finest men I’ve ever met in my life.

“Look, I came here two years ago. I wanted to show patience on the football side to see how it was going. On the business side, we made vast and sweeping changes. I didn’t want to make those vast and sweeping changes on the football side. I wanted to take time and patience to see how it could go.

“I just thought it was time, given the way things have gone the last two seasons, to put my stamp on the organization on the football side, as we’ve done on the business side of the organization. As much respect as I have for Ron, I think a change was appropriate to build things the way I want things to be built.”

On why the move was made now instead of after the season:

“There are competitive reasons why I wanted to make sure we were out there looking at all personnel possible for the future. I didn’t want to be having inquiries where Ron didn’t know what I was doing.

“I didn’t want to be doing things not upfront; thats not who I am. So I’d rather be straight-up and honest, and if I’m going to make a change, I’m going to make a change. And not to get a competitive disadvantage over other teams; if I need to talk to people, i want to talk to them, and I want to do it in a straight-forward, honest way.”

On why Fewell was chosen as the interim head coach:

“I have different coaches on the staff and I’m looking at the future now. And the future is: who may I have as potential candidates for different roles. Perry is a person who can command a room, can be a general, and I think that he is the right person to have that interim role… and to be auditioning for that role in the future.

“As far as the other choice we’ll probably make is to make Scott Turner a play-call offensive coordinator. In that respect, same thing: I want to see what Scott can do. Again, in an audition sort of way, see how he does it. He has some new ideas, and we’ll see how they get implemented.”

On the decision to move Norv Turner from offensive coordinator to special assistant to the head coach:

“Norv Turner is obviously still a tremendously knowledgable coach who I respect a lot. Norv has been around and is very knowledgable. Scott is potentially a future offensive coordinator of some sort. Why not see what he has to offer here.”

On what he’ll be looking for in a new head coach:

“What I want, just for the organization in general, is a mesh of old and new. Old football discipline. Modern processes, modern analytics, statistics, and the rest of that. But I respect old discipline, too. Listen, I was with a team in Pittsburgh that was the epitome of old-school discipline, so I want to see that brought in, I want to see that mesh. And what I want to have more than anything…I want to put the best people in the best positions to be successful. And I want those coaches to put our players on the field in the best positions to be successful, period.

“This whole process – they don’t build Rome in a day. People think if I make a magic change today, it’s going to make the organization better tomorrow… it is not. This is going to be a process.”

On how an assistant GM can help the front office:

“Marty Hurney is one of the best recognizers of college talent in the nation. I don’t want to lose that. And he’s also not a bad manager. There’s also new processes that I want to bring in. I think the modern football organization needs a couple people there [in the front office].”

On what today’s move means for the future of the organization:

“As far as a process is concerned, it’s the first step in a process. I’m making sure we have a standard of excellence on all sides of this business.”

Panthers Hire OC Norv Turner

January 12th, 2018 at 11:45am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Panthers have hired longtime NFL coach Norv Turner their next offensive coordinator. The news was first reported by David Newton of ESPN.com.

Turner was in Carolina on Wednesday to formally interview for the position and it didn’t take long for the two sides to hammer out an agreement. On Friday, the team made it official.

Turner’s hiring should come as no surprise, especially given that he was the first — and only — candidate mentioned following the firing of Mike Shula on Tuesday. Reports indicated the Panthers preferred to hire a veteran coach, and Turner certainly fits that bill. He’s served as a coordinator for six clubs and been a head coach for three more teams. Turner, 65, was most recently the offensive play-caller for the Vikings before abruptly resigning midway through the 2016 campaign.

In addition to his wealth of experience, Turner is also close with Panthers head coach Ron Rivera. Turner hired Rivera as an assistant coach and later defensive coordinator when both worked for the Chargers, and Turner also recommended Rivera for the Carolina job when it became open in 2011.

With the Panthers, Turner will take over a unit that boasts pieces such as quarterback Cam Newton, running back Christian McCaffrey, wide receiver Devin Funchess, and tight end Greg Olsen. Despite those options, Carolina’s offense struggled in 2017, ranking 12th in scoring, 17th in DVOA, and 19th in yards.

Meanwhile, Scott Turner will join his father in heading to Carolina, as he’ll become the Panthers’ new quarterbacks coach. The younger Turner most recently served as QBs coach at the University of Michigan, and has worked with the Panthers, Browns, and Vikings at the NFL level.

Panthers To Interview Norv Turner For OC

January 9th, 2018 at 6:12pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Panthers will interview longtime NFL coach Norv Turner for their offensive coordinator vacancy, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who notes Turner is the club’s “top choice.”

Carolina’s interest in Turner comes as no surprise, as Rapoport indicated earlier today that the 65-year-old was Panthers head coach Ron Rivera‘s No. 1 contender for the OC position. Additionally, Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link) reported the Panthers would likely hire a “veteran” coach to replace the fired Mike Shula, and Turner would certainly fit that bill.

Turner offers a wealth of experience, as he’s coordinated offenses for six clubs while serving as head coach for three other teams. He also enjoys a working relationship with Rivera — not only did Rivera coach under Turner with the Chargers, but Turner recommended Rivera for the top job in Carolina.

If Turner is hired, he could potentially bring his son Scott along as the Panthers’ next quarterbacks coach to replace Ken Dorsey, per Rapoport (video link). However, Carolina could have competition for Turner, as Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks could hire Turner (or Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo) as his OC if he’s hired as a head coach, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

Panthers Eyeing Norv Turner For OC Job

January 9th, 2018 at 3:10pm CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers need a new offensive coordinator to replace Mike Shula, who was fired on Tuesday morning. Head coach Ron Rivera is hoping that Norv Turner will be the man to replace him, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Turner’s time as the Vikings’ offensive coordinator ended abruptly in November 2016 when he stepped down following a professional disagreement with head coach Mike Zimmer. Turner was reportedly interested in getting back to football soon after, but he was waiting for the right opportunity with the right quarterback.

Cam Newton could be the right QB to get Turner back on the sidelines, but one has to wonder if the team’s lack of receiving weapons could deter him from joining the Panthers. Due to a lack of depth and injuries, the Panthers’ season ended with Devin Funchess, Russell Shepard, and Brenton Bersin as the team’s top three WRs.

Turner has had several stops as an OC in the league, including with the Cowboys (1991-1993), Chargers (2001), Dolphins (2002-2003), Raiders (2004-2005), 49ers (2006), Browns (2013), and Vikings (2014-2016). He also served as the Chargers’ head coach from 2007 through 2012.

Coaching/FO News & Rumors: 1/11/17

January 11th, 2017 at 7:29pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

General manager candidate Louis Riddick‘s interview with the 49ers “went well,” relays Yahoo’s Charles Robinson, who adds that the team won’t make a decision on a GM without having input from its next head coach. Josh McDaniels, the potential favorite for the 49ers’ head coaching job, and Riddick would likely end up as a package deal in San Fransisco, per Robinson (Twitter links).

More of the latest coaching news and rumors (here’s a roundup from earlier):

If new Bills head coach Sean McDermott is unable to land No. 1 target Mike McCoy as his offensive coordinator, he could look to Norv Turner as an alternative, according to both Michael Silver of NFL.com and John Wawrow of the Associated Press (Twitter links). The 64-year-old Turner would bring significant experience, having worked as an offensive coordinator with six teams since 1991; however, his latest stint – with the Vikings – ended when he abruptly resigned in November.
Bills wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal interviewed for the same position with the Eagles on Wednesday, reports ESPN’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com). Philadelphia is looking to replace the fired Greg Lewis, and Caplan noted Tuesday that its interest in Lal is “strong.” Before hooking on with Buffalo’s staff in 2015, Lal coached wideouts with the Raiders and Jets for a combined six years.
Broncos receivers coach Tyke Tolbert could join the Titans, thereby enabling him to reunite with head coach Mike Mularkey, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. Tolbert was once the receivers coach in Buffalo under Mularkey, and has also held that post with three other clubs.
Dolphins assistant offensive line coach Jeremiah Washburn is a candidate for the Broncos’ O-line coach role, tweets Mike Klis of 9News. That would mean following ex-Dolphins defensive coordinator and now-Broncos head coach Vance Joseph to Denver. Washburn previously worked as Detroit’s offensive line coach from 2013-15. For now, Clancy Barone is atop the Broncos’ O-line, though it appears that won’t be the case for much longer as a result of previous head coach Gary Kubiak‘s retirement.

Mort & Schefter On Norv Turner, C-Mike, Rams

November 17th, 2016 at 9:49am CST by Zachary Links

After stepping down as Vikings offensive coordinator, Norv Turner is not looking for work at this moment. However, he is still interested in coaching, according to Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com. Once his Vikings contract runs out this winter, Turner would like the opportunity to help mold an up-and-coming quarterback.

“I just enjoy it too much,” Turner said. “I really enjoy teaching the players.”

Turner says he’ll only return to the sidelines for the right opportunity or, as Schefter and Mortensen put it, “the right team in the right city with the right quarterback.” Given the Vikings’ offensive struggles under Turner, he is probably a stronger candidate as a quarterbacks coach than an offensive coordinator. Turner has had several stops as an OC in the NFL, but serving as strictly a QB coach at the professional level would be a first for him. The only time he ever held that title was with USC from 1981-1983.

Here’s more from Mortensen and Schefter:

Christine Michael‘s release was about his regression as a runner and also a statement about the Seahawks‘ confidence in rookie C.J. Prosise, Mortensen writes. At Notre Dame, there were doubts about Prosise’s ability to grind out tough yards because of his soft-spoken personality. However, the Seahawks saw a warrior underneath his reserved demeanor and had enough faith to use a third-round pick on him. Going forward, Mortensen writes that Prosise is expected to be the main ball carrier with Thomas Rawls eased back into action.
Case Keenum will move into a backup role behind No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff, but it’s actually possible that he’s bumped all the way down to No. 3 and made inactive on gamedays if the Rams fall out of the playoff hunt. Keenum is headed for free agency at the end of the year and L.A. will likely want to gauge what they have in Sean Mannion, a 2015 third-round choice.
There has been a lot of talk about Oklahoma defensive tackle Charles Walker and his controversial decision to leave the team in advance of the 2017 NFL Draft. The popular view is that NFL teams will not look favorably upon Walker’s decision to abandon the Sooners, causing him to slide in the draft. However, Mortensen isn’t certain that clubs will concur with Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops‘ framing of the situation. Walker suffered the third reported concussion of his career in early October and cutting his season short may benefit him on multiple levels. From a talent perspective, Walker is viewed as a first- or second-round pick for the spring.

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