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Chargers will hire Norv Turner as next head coach (1 Viewer)

M

MelKiperJr

Footballguy
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2771126

San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Norv Turner has agreed in principle to become the San Diego Chargers next coach, sources told ESPN.com.

In addition to the Turner hiring, longtime league assistant coach Ted Cottrell will meet early this week with San Diego officials which should result in the Chargers hiring Cottrell as the club's new defensive coordinator.

Cottrell, who worked in the NFL office in 2006, has extensive experience with the 3-4 defense that San Diego used last season.

Turner is one of six candidates to have interviewed for the position. The other known head coach candidates Gary Gibbs (New Orleans), Mike Zimmer (Atlanta), Mike Singletary (San Francisco), Ron Rivera (Chicago) and Rex Ryan (Baltimore) are all coaches whose expertise is on the defensive side. All but Singletary are current coordinators.

Turner has twice previously been a head coach in the league. Cottrell has interviewed in the past for head coach positions, and came very close to landing the top job in San Francisco four years ago, but the meeting with Chargers officials is strictly an interview for the team's defensive coordinator spot, several sources said.

San Diego officials prefer to retain a 3-4 defense, the scheme for which the personnel is best suited, and hiring Cottrell would permit that. Cottrell was actually recommended to Schottenheimer by Smith when then-Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was hired by the Dallas Cowboys as their new head coach.

Marty Schottenheimer instead leaned toward hiring his younger brother, Kurt Schottenheimer, as the replacement for Phillips. In addition to Marty Schottenheimer, the Chargers, who posted an NFL-best 14-2 record in 2006 but were ousted in the divisional round of the playoffs, have lost five assistant coaches since the end of the season. That includes both coordinators.

Cottrell, 59, possesses 22 seasons of NFL experience as an assistant coach, including three stints as a defensive coordinator. He most recently worked as coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings (2004-2005). Cottrell lost his job when the Vikings fired coach Mike Tice after the 2005 season.

 
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Norv may not be the world's greatest head coach, but if nothing else, LT will probably be happy with the selection. And that seems to be as important as anything at this juncture.

 
I think both backs are great backs and the coaches aren't going to make a heck of a lot of difference. As an owner of both I am still more worried abour gore' durability than I am about whoever is the OC. The 49ers offence should improve regardless of who is there just because of maturity and the fact that they have a lot of money to spend and they look like they are ready to spend it.

 
zamboni said:
Norv may not be the world's greatest head coach, but if nothing else, LT will probably be happy with the selection. And that seems to be as important as anything at this juncture.
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Turner was OC when LT was a rookie, so they at the very least have worked together in the past. And Turner did pretty well with the likes of Emmitt Smith (OC in DAL), Ricky Williams (OC in MIA), Stephen Davis (HC in WAS), and Lamont Jordan (HC in OAK).
 
So SD fires a proven winner who hasn't won big games in the playoffs for a coach who does not have as good a track record and who hasn't won games in the playoffs.

This really doesen't make sense. Pizza face is not the answer to put a 14-2 team over the hump. I think this is a step backwards.

I don't think any coach could make LT better than he allready is.

Biggest impact is the loss to the 9ers.

 
Norv should pick some lotto numbers today.

He "misses out" on working for a slightly-better-than-average Dallas team which has a meddling owner, then falls ###-backwards into coaching this Super Bowl-ready squad. Marty should be on Norv's Christmas card list.

 
I certanly don't think it helps Gore in any way. If anything Turner does great with the running backs he coaches.

 
As a Chargers fan, at first glance I did not like this hire. After thinking about it, it might not be as bad as everyone thinks. Let's not forget that Turner was the OC in SD under Marty. The system that Norv installed is basically the system that Cam Cameron had taken over. So the system will remain consistent and I think they might be banking on Norv's proven track record of developing young QB's. Rivers did well last season but with a coach known for improving QB's, this could be a good fit.

Also, the hiring of Ted Cotrell might not be as bad either. The man knows the 3-4 and the Chargers run the 3-4 very well. The reason Cotrell was out of a job is because Tice got fired from Minnesotta. Those Viking Defenses were not too shabby so the guy knows how to scheme a D.

I think AJ Smith and Dean Spanos know they have a winner on their hands. They are just handing over the reins to guys they think will keep the ship straight and steady.

 
Harry Beanbag said:
Also, the hiring of Ted Cotrell might not be as bad either. The man knows the 3-4 and the Chargers run the 3-4 very well. The reason Cotrell was out of a job is because Tice got fired from Minnesotta. Those Viking Defenses were not too shabby so the guy knows how to scheme a D.
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What?
 
David Yudkin said:
zamboni said:
Norv may not be the world's greatest head coach, but if nothing else, LT will probably be happy with the selection. And that seems to be as important as anything at this juncture.
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Turner was OC when LT was a rookie, so they at the very least have worked together in the past. And Turner did pretty well with the likes of Emmitt Smith (OC in DAL), Ricky Williams (OC in MIA), Stephen Davis (HC in WAS), and Lamont Jordan (HC in OAK).
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Are people really worried about LT? Seriously, he is an absolute stud and any coach that would pull a Martz on him would be fired midseason because the Chargers would not be Super Bowl contenders.Now, don't expect Turner to improve on LT's 2006. That was his career year. If he duplicates it again, he will cement his place in history as the best RB ever. Unless Rivers regresses, I can't imagine that LT's TD numbers won't suffer. If they somehow pick up a stud WR in the draft that has an immediate impact, that could hurt even more. LT is still good for 1TD+ a game, but probably not a lock for 2 a game.
 
As an LT owner/fan, this is great. As a fan of SD (2nd to the Cowboys) I don't like it, it sucks.

 
Biabreakable said:
So SD fires a proven winner who hasn't won big games in the playoffs for a coach who does not have as good a track record and who hasn't won games in the playoffs.This really doesen't make sense. Pizza face is not the answer to put a 14-2 team over the hump. I think this is a step backwards.I don't think any coach could make LT better than he allready is.Biggest impact is the loss to the 9ers.
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Agreed. I'd say the chances of Michael Turner leaving have decreased. Norv is going to want both backs.
 
Marauder said:
cobalt_27 said:
derek19 said:
:hot: :cry: :wall: :rant: Time for alex to learn another offense. Great!!!!
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Umm...how would this be any different if Rex Ryan were hired? Or Ron Rivera? Or Pete Carroll? Old news, my friend.
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:unsure: If one of those guys were hired, Norv would still be in SF. It wouldn't affect Alex Smith at all.
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:hot: I can't read, apparently. :cry: Saw "Alex" and somehow I translated that to read: "Time for Rivers to learn another offense."WTF? I'm losing my mind.
 
This was the "safest" pick. As others have said, Turner brings offensive continuity (probably the only qualified candidate to do that) and while he's no HoF coach franchise figures not to collapse around him over the next two to three years.

He also is a docile sort who won't fight Smith over things like, for example, the Cotrell hiring and personnel matters. Maybe he'll even help Rivers develop.

Certainly, Norv's trademarks as an offensive coach - emphasis on running and o-line play; good use of the TE as a receiver; development of young QB's - all fit the Chargers' personnel to a "T".

As with most "safe" picks, this is pretty boring. At 1-1, Norv's playoff win % is better than Marty's was, so . . . :goodposting:

 
Ghost Rider said:
Why would a team apparently on the verge of a title hire a retread coach, and a mediocre one, at that?
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Because they don't have the luxury of a HC going through the learning curve of on the job training. They needed someone that at least has had head coaching experience. As for Turner, there were not a lot of great experienced options out there. And whomever they picked also had to get along with the Chargers' owner and GM and apparently agree to some of the options as potential assistant coaches.And before we shoot down Turner, he was never a head coach for a team at the talent level the Chargers are at. They don't need someone to turn the franchise around, they need someone to keep everyone happy and continue to win. Apparently they felt the risk and pressure of being a first time head coach would only have added to the problem.
 
I think it is a good hire for the Chargers.

They wanted to keep things status quo..Norv will do that.

 
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This makes sense to me:

(1) Of all the defensive coaches under consideration, only Rex Ryan directed a 3-4 defense (and he turned SD down);

(2) Cottrell has a lot of experience with the 3-4, and is one of the better DC's out there -- this is key for continuity when you've got a great, young defense whose personnel has been built for the 3-4;

(3) Schotty was never accused of being anything other than uber-conservative offensively, which is why he gave the task to a a crafty Cameron -- Norv may be lots of things, but he isn't as vanilla offensively as most others out there.

 
As a PPR player for the most part, I am almost disapointed that Norv Turner didnt' end up on a team without a top 5 RB (In this case #1). This coach is PPR Gold. I wonder of LT2 ends up with 100 receptions this year?

 
Ghost Rider said:
Why would a team apparently on the verge of a title hire a retread coach, and a mediocre one, at that?
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I was thinking the same thing.Like Bia said this could really be a step backward. A loss or two more is probably somewhat expected as even with Marty repeating a 14-2 season is extremely hard to do though.I agree with much of what was said here in that they don't necessarily need a RB friendly system but instead a system for just about any other offensive player. It seems like the backs will do well regardless of the system, it's the WRs or continuation of TE production that seem to need attention.I liked Cottrell alot when he was in NY. Was he in Buffalo before that? Seems Merriman and LT were taken care of by the hires. I guess that could be the way to do it...we'll sure see.
 
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I appreciate any attempts to spin this in a positive light. Good stuff.

This is a team with legit title aspirations.The challenge for the new coach is to take the Chargers further than Schottenheimer was able to. I do not see Turner being up to that challenge.

 
I don't get the "Norv is a bad head coach" sentiment. I know that sounds crazy, and I'm sure some will say I'm nuts but I just think we can't universally claim that he "can't" coach.

He took over a Washington team that was 4-12 in 1993. In his first two years, they were 3-13 and 6-10. After that point, he was 40-36-1 with them. Not great, but not awful considering the amount of turnover he had (especially at the QB position). His successors in Washington (Schottenheimer and Spurrier) weren't able to improve upon Norv's track record there at all, and Washington failed to make the playoffs any subsequent season until Joe Gibbs was back in town. Norv then goes to Oakland where his teams are, by all accounts, miserable. He goes 9-23 and his reputation as a HC is shot. So what happens when he leaves? The team proves they're even worse than everyone thought, as they drop to 2-14 and are one of the biggest jokes in NFL history. Norv's Oakland teams were terrible, but at least competed for the most part.

I know there's a lot that goes into being a coach that isn't present as a coordinator, but it's not like he has been in situations to excel. He may have coached under the two most meddling owners in all of sports, not to mention the guys who succeeded him weren't able to do anything with the same group of guys either. Norv's a phenomenal coordinator and won't break the offense, and that may be his biggest attribute here. I like the hire, not just because I'm a Norv fan but also because I would do just about anything to prevent Mora or Mooch from getting the job.

 
Michael Brown said:
He took over a Washington team that was 4-12 in 1993. In his first two years, they were 3-13 and 6-10. After that point, he was 40-36-1 with them. Not great, but not awful considering the amount of turnover he had (especially at the QB position). His successors in Washington (Schottenheimer and Spurrier) weren't able to improve upon Norv's track record there at all, and Washington failed to make the playoffs any subsequent season until Joe Gibbs was back in town.
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Norv went 7-6 in 2000, and Marty, in 2001, went 8-8. That was Marty's only season in Washington. Perhaps not in improvement, but the wheels sure didn't fall off did they?Here's an interesting exercise: Check the teams' records that Marty coached. Before and after he was there. One could make an argument that his teams overachieved. Is Norv going to improve this team? Are they going to go further in the playoffs because Norv and Cottrell are there?
 
From the words of TO, "if it looks like a rat, and smells like a rat, then by golly it must be a rat". That's my opinion of Norv Turner.

 
Michael Brown said:
I don't get the "Norv is a bad head coach" sentiment. I know that sounds crazy, and I'm sure some will say I'm nuts but I just think we can't universally claim that he "can't" coach.

He took over a Washington team that was 4-12 in 1993. In his first two years, they were 3-13 and 6-10. After that point, he was 40-36-1 with them. Not great, but not awful considering the amount of turnover he had (especially at the QB position). His successors in Washington (Schottenheimer and Spurrier) weren't able to improve upon Norv's track record there at all, and Washington failed to make the playoffs any subsequent season until Joe Gibbs was back in town. Norv then goes to Oakland where his teams are, by all accounts, miserable. He goes 9-23 and his reputation as a HC is shot. So what happens when he leaves? The team proves they're even worse than everyone thought, as they drop to 2-14 and are one of the biggest jokes in NFL history. Norv's Oakland teams were terrible, but at least competed for the most part.

I know there's a lot that goes into being a coach that isn't present as a coordinator, but it's not like he has been in situations to excel. He may have coached under the two most meddling owners in all of sports, not to mention the guys who succeeded him weren't able to do anything with the same group of guys either. Norv's a phenomenal coordinator and won't break the offense, and that may be his biggest attribute here. I like the hire, not just because I'm a Norv fan but also because I would do just about anything to prevent Mora or Mooch from getting the job.
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You've painted with a very broad brush here. Norv's high water mark with the 'Skins was arguably week 8 in 1996 when he'd gotten the team to a 6-1 record. They then collapsed to finish 7-9 that year. The remaining years, save for 1999 when they won a division championship and a playoff game, were marked by undisciplined teams that seemed to change little from year to year as reflected by their record. Norv started 0-7 in 1998, his 5th season with the team, and would have been fired by any other team in the league but managed to keep his job because by the time that Snyder took over it was summer 1999 and too late to hire a replacement. Bottom line: head coaching is far more about leadership than about scheme or football smarts. Norv is not a leader, and the players know it and walk all over him. I'll be interested to see whether the Chargers - already an undisciplined team in many respects, have enough on-field leaders and talent to overcome Norv because, rest assured, thats precisely what they'll have to do to win a championship with him.

 
Michael Brown said:
I don't get the "Norv is a bad head coach" sentiment. I know that sounds crazy, and I'm sure some will say I'm nuts but I just think we can't universally claim that he "can't" coach.He took over a Washington team that was 4-12 in 1993. In his first two years, they were 3-13 and 6-10. After that point, he was 40-36-1 with them. Not great, but not awful considering the amount of turnover he had (especially at the QB position). His successors in Washington (Schottenheimer and Spurrier) weren't able to improve upon Norv's track record there at all, and Washington failed to make the playoffs any subsequent season until Joe Gibbs was back in town. Norv then goes to Oakland where his teams are, by all accounts, miserable. He goes 9-23 and his reputation as a HC is shot. So what happens when he leaves? The team proves they're even worse than everyone thought, as they drop to 2-14 and are one of the biggest jokes in NFL history. Norv's Oakland teams were terrible, but at least competed for the most part.I know there's a lot that goes into being a coach that isn't present as a coordinator, but it's not like he has been in situations to excel. He may have coached under the two most meddling owners in all of sports, not to mention the guys who succeeded him weren't able to do anything with the same group of guys either. Norv's a phenomenal coordinator and won't break the offense, and that may be his biggest attribute here. I like the hire, not just because I'm a Norv fan but also because I would do just about anything to prevent Mora or Mooch from getting the job.
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This is my take as well. You need talent to win as a coach. Norv has not done well as a coach, but it is obvious he knows how to run an offense. If he can get Cottrell to run the 3-4 and he can get some assistant that can help him manage the game, this was a good fit for the Chargers and is the best they could have done if they were going to let everyone leave.
 
Liquid Tension said:
Michael Brown said:
I don't get the "Norv is a bad head coach" sentiment. I know that sounds crazy, and I'm sure some will say I'm nuts but I just think we can't universally claim that he "can't" coach.He took over a Washington team that was 4-12 in 1993. In his first two years, they were 3-13 and 6-10. After that point, he was 40-36-1 with them. Not great, but not awful considering the amount of turnover he had (especially at the QB position). His successors in Washington (Schottenheimer and Spurrier) weren't able to improve upon Norv's track record there at all, and Washington failed to make the playoffs any subsequent season until Joe Gibbs was back in town. Norv then goes to Oakland where his teams are, by all accounts, miserable. He goes 9-23 and his reputation as a HC is shot. So what happens when he leaves? The team proves they're even worse than everyone thought, as they drop to 2-14 and are one of the biggest jokes in NFL history. Norv's Oakland teams were terrible, but at least competed for the most part.I know there's a lot that goes into being a coach that isn't present as a coordinator, but it's not like he has been in situations to excel. He may have coached under the two most meddling owners in all of sports, not to mention the guys who succeeded him weren't able to do anything with the same group of guys either. Norv's a phenomenal coordinator and won't break the offense, and that may be his biggest attribute here. I like the hire, not just because I'm a Norv fan but also because I would do just about anything to prevent Mora or Mooch from getting the job.
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This is my take as well. You need talent to win as a coach. Norv has not done well as a coach, but it is obvious he knows how to run an offense. If he can get Cottrell to run the 3-4 and he can get some assistant that can help him manage the game, this was a good fit for the Chargers and is the best they could have done if they were going to let everyone leave.
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Norv isn't being hired "to run an offense". He's being hired to lead a team. If you think that this can work if only the Chargers can back-fill some of those responsibilities with Ted Cottrell or any other assistant coach or coordinator, that's more a statement of what you think about Norv than anything else.
 
norv is a good hire. he will continue the development of philip rivers, while keeping continuity of the offensive system.

as for the defense, let them do their thing and rack up the wins.

and if it doesn't work out, at least you didn't harm your franchise qb.

 
redman said:
Michael Brown said:
I don't get the "Norv is a bad head coach" sentiment. I know that sounds crazy, and I'm sure some will say I'm nuts but I just think we can't universally claim that he "can't" coach.

He took over a Washington team that was 4-12 in 1993. In his first two years, they were 3-13 and 6-10. After that point, he was 40-36-1 with them. Not great, but not awful considering the amount of turnover he had (especially at the QB position). His successors in Washington (Schottenheimer and Spurrier) weren't able to improve upon Norv's track record there at all, and Washington failed to make the playoffs any subsequent season until Joe Gibbs was back in town. Norv then goes to Oakland where his teams are, by all accounts, miserable. He goes 9-23 and his reputation as a HC is shot. So what happens when he leaves? The team proves they're even worse than everyone thought, as they drop to 2-14 and are one of the biggest jokes in NFL history. Norv's Oakland teams were terrible, but at least competed for the most part.

I know there's a lot that goes into being a coach that isn't present as a coordinator, but it's not like he has been in situations to excel. He may have coached under the two most meddling owners in all of sports, not to mention the guys who succeeded him weren't able to do anything with the same group of guys either. Norv's a phenomenal coordinator and won't break the offense, and that may be his biggest attribute here. I like the hire, not just because I'm a Norv fan but also because I would do just about anything to prevent Mora or Mooch from getting the job.
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You've painted with a very broad brush here. Norv's high water mark with the 'Skins was arguably week 8 in 1996 when he'd gotten the team to a 6-1 record. They then collapsed to finish 7-9 that year. The remaining years, save for 1999 when they won a division championship and a playoff game, were marked by undisciplined teams that seemed to change little from year to year as reflected by their record. Norv started 0-7 in 1998, his 5th season with the team, and would have been fired by any other team in the league but managed to keep his job because by the time that Snyder took over it was summer 1999 and too late to hire a replacement. Bottom line: head coaching is far more about leadership than about scheme or football smarts. Norv is not a leader, and the players know it and walk all over him. I'll be interested to see whether the Chargers - already an undisciplined team in many respects, have enough on-field leaders and talent to overcome Norv because, rest assured, thats precisely what they'll have to do to win a championship with him.
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Good talent = winning = great leadership. I am not disagreeing about the leadership importance, but I am saying that sometimes winning creates that respect and losing exacerbates the lack of leadership. Sometimes the key players need to be part of that leadership. Look at the Giants and Coughlin, he doesn't allow people to walk in him (I know this is not a leadership quality), yet his key players in Strahan and Tiki thought he worked the team too hard and basically threw him under the bus. Get me guys who want to live, work and sleep football.

I would think being able to manage the game and not let the usually incorrect fans dictate whether you should be going for 4th and 1 from the 22 yard line (the worst place to do so) is very important. You also need to understand clock management. Lovie Smith just made the SB and he makes some of the dumbest decisions from a game management standpoint I have ever seen. Is that good leadership, luck, or what? Just 2 quick examples from just the Seattle playoff game that were dumb decisions by Lovie.

1) Seattle at the end of the 1st half with 4th and 1 from the 8 yard line with 18 seconds left and 1 time out he goes for it. Dumb and very low % decision, but he got a TD and it worked out.

2) At the end of the game with Seattle in possession on the Bears roughly 44 yard line and the 3rd down play ends leaving it 4th and about 15 with 45 seconds left. Instead of calling an immediate timeout to force Seattle to punt, he lets the clock run down and then (Holmgren must have been sleeping here as well) calls a timeout with 2 seconds left to give Seattle a chance to throw a hail Mary??? Holmgren should have called the timeout; it is almost mind boggling how stupid it was for Lovie to call the timeout and give Seattle a chance to win; even if small. Imagine if the hail Mary worked?

there were more but just o give you some flavor

 
Liquid Tension said:
redman said:
Michael Brown said:
I don't get the "Norv is a bad head coach" sentiment. I know that sounds crazy, and I'm sure some will say I'm nuts but I just think we can't universally claim that he "can't" coach.

He took over a Washington team that was 4-12 in 1993. In his first two years, they were 3-13 and 6-10. After that point, he was 40-36-1 with them. Not great, but not awful considering the amount of turnover he had (especially at the QB position). His successors in Washington (Schottenheimer and Spurrier) weren't able to improve upon Norv's track record there at all, and Washington failed to make the playoffs any subsequent season until Joe Gibbs was back in town. Norv then goes to Oakland where his teams are, by all accounts, miserable. He goes 9-23 and his reputation as a HC is shot. So what happens when he leaves? The team proves they're even worse than everyone thought, as they drop to 2-14 and are one of the biggest jokes in NFL history. Norv's Oakland teams were terrible, but at least competed for the most part.

I know there's a lot that goes into being a coach that isn't present as a coordinator, but it's not like he has been in situations to excel. He may have coached under the two most meddling owners in all of sports, not to mention the guys who succeeded him weren't able to do anything with the same group of guys either. Norv's a phenomenal coordinator and won't break the offense, and that may be his biggest attribute here. I like the hire, not just because I'm a Norv fan but also because I would do just about anything to prevent Mora or Mooch from getting the job.
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You've painted with a very broad brush here. Norv's high water mark with the 'Skins was arguably week 8 in 1996 when he'd gotten the team to a 6-1 record. They then collapsed to finish 7-9 that year. The remaining years, save for 1999 when they won a division championship and a playoff game, were marked by undisciplined teams that seemed to change little from year to year as reflected by their record. Norv started 0-7 in 1998, his 5th season with the team, and would have been fired by any other team in the league but managed to keep his job because by the time that Snyder took over it was summer 1999 and too late to hire a replacement. Bottom line: head coaching is far more about leadership than about scheme or football smarts. Norv is not a leader, and the players know it and walk all over him. I'll be interested to see whether the Chargers - already an undisciplined team in many respects, have enough on-field leaders and talent to overcome Norv because, rest assured, thats precisely what they'll have to do to win a championship with him.
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Good talent = winning = great leadership. I am not disagreeing about the leadership importance, but I am saying that sometimes winning creates that respect and losing exacerbates the lack of leadership. Sometimes the key players need to be part of that leadership. Look at the Giants and Coughlin, he doesn't allow people to walk in him (I know this is not a leadership quality), yet his key players in Strahan and Tiki thought he worked the team too hard and basically threw him under the bus. Get me guys who want to live, work and sleep football.

I would think being able to manage the game and not let the usually incorrect fans dictate whether you should be going for 4th and 1 from the 22 yard line (the worst place to do so) is very important. You also need to understand clock management. Lovie Smith just made the SB and he makes some of the dumbest decisions from a game management standpoint I have ever seen. Is that good leadership, luck, or what? Just 2 quick examples from just the Seattle playoff game that were dumb decisions by Lovie.

1) Seattle at the end of the 1st half with 4th and 1 from the 8 yard line with 18 seconds left and 1 time out he goes for it. Dumb and very low % decision, but he got a TD and it worked out.

2) At the end of the game with Seattle in possession on the Bears roughly 44 yard line and the 3rd down play ends leaving it 4th and about 15 with 45 seconds left. Instead of calling an immediate timeout to force Seattle to punt, he lets the clock run down and then (Holmgren must have been sleeping here as well) calls a timeout with 2 seconds left to give Seattle a chance to throw a hail Mary??? Holmgren should have called the timeout; it is almost mind boggling how stupid it was for Lovie to call the timeout and give Seattle a chance to win; even if small. Imagine if the hail Mary worked?

there were more but just o give you some flavor
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I've seen some stupefyingly dumb decisions and play-calls by Norv too. In 1999, that playoff year when he was coaching the 'Skins, one that sticks with me was their regular season game at Detroit. Detroit was a pretty good team and that was back when their quick DE's on the Silverdome's fast surface could terrorize your o-line. They'd worried all week about that. The solution was pretty simple: pound Stephen Davis, who had emerged as one of the best feature backs in the NFL that year on his way to a 290/1405/17 season. At halftime, they're down by I think four points. So what does Norv do in the 2nd half? He hands the ball to Davis four times. Four times! I think the o-line false started more times in the 2nd half. They lost 35-17.

I'm not trying to dredge up 7-year old memories just to bash him, but this stood out at the time and has always stuck with me as an example of how Norv gets overrated as a play-caller. There were certainly times he could be brilliant, but there were many other times when Redskins fans were left scratching their heads over his play calls.

One of the most mystifying things to me in the NFL in recent years has been how Norv has been Mr. Teflon. Whenever he's failed it's somehow not Norv's responsibility, it's always someone else's fault. Dan Snyder, Al Davis, the Redskins' lack of talent, the Raiders' lack of talent, bad luck, etc., etc., etc. At some point people need to realize that, whatever other factors were at work, the one constant in all of those prior failures was Norv himself.

 
redman said:
One of the most mystifying things to me in the NFL in recent years has been how Norv has been Mr. Teflon. Whenever he's failed it's somehow not Norv's responsibility, it's always someone else's fault. Dan Snyder, Al Davis, the Redskins' lack of talent, the Raiders' lack of talent, bad luck, etc., etc., etc. At some point people need to realize that, whatever other factors were at work, the one constant in all of those prior failures was Norv himself.
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BINGO, give that man a cigar !!!
 
Positives about this hire:

1. Norv is familiar with the team (ownership, front office, many of the coaches and players) from the time he spent as the Chargers' offensive coordinator in 2001.

2. He is recognized as having a very good offensive mind, and tends to get the most out of his running backs. He's also developed several young QBs in his stints as offensive coordinator.

3. When Cam Cameron took over as offensive coordinator in 2002, he kept the same offensive system in place -- i.e., Norv's. So the Chargers have already been running Norv Turner's offense, and will not have to overhaul the scheme. (The same will be true on defense, where Ted Cottrell is part of the Wade Phillips 3-4 coaching tree.)

4. The Chargers will have a much less experienced offensive coordinator (Shelmon) this year than defensive coordinator (Cottrell), so it makes sense to hire an offensive-minded head coach.

Negatives:

1. He had a losing record as a head coach in both Washington and Oakland.

2. He does not seem to be a very charismatic leader or motivator.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I thought it was funny that another major fantasy site also refer to Turner as a retread, keyword "Another". Also see thread on recycled coaches Here

Norv Turner to be next Chargers coach

FoxSports.com reports that the Chargers have chosen Norv Turner as their next head coach.

When Turner washed out in Oakland, we never thought he'd get a chance to be a head coach again. Only one year later, he's taking over the best collection of talent in the NFL. Turner has always engineered a powerful running game, so LT2 owners shouldn't be concerned. Another retread coach without a great track record, Ted Cottrell, is expected to coordinate San Diego's loaded 3-4 defense. ESPN.com has confirmed the story. Feb. 19 - 11:29 am et

Source: FoxSports.com

 
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