Chargers Hire Turner

[Scott Campbell]

From ESPN:

Chargers have agreement with Turner
San Diego is turning to 49ers offensive coordinator Norv Turner to be its new head coach, sources tell ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli. Turner gets his third crack as a head coach after nine largely unsuccessful years in Washington and Oakland.


Marty's loss is Norv's gain.

Anyone surprised that they didn't interview Shermy? It sure looks like his stock has really dropped.

[Scott Campbell]

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.

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 Marty Schottenheimer by Smith when then-Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was hired by the Dallas Cowboys as their new head coach.

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.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

[Zool]

WTF are they doing in SD?

[MJZiggy]

WTF are they doing in SD?

Screwing up a 14-2 team...

[Zool]

Good lord, Norv Turner and Ted Cotrell?

I'll take overrated for $500 Alex.

[OS PA]

Wouldn't it be ironic of Sherm got the coaching job in SF now. Leaving McCarthy with the QB Sherm drafted and Sherm with the QB McCarthy draft, would be pretty funny imo.

[MJZiggy]

Except that Norv wasn't the head coach there. Mike Nolan is. If Sherm's title is Asst. Head Coach, then taking a coordinator position is a step down, right?

[wist43]

The Chargers were the best team in the league last year... and managed to screw it up.

This one is a head scratcher... I'm a Charger fan, and very disappointed with this hiring.

I don't blame Spanos and Smith for dumping Schottenheimer - but, this one doesn't make much sense.

The only thing I can figure is that they feel they're close to winning it all, and didn't want to wait for a "newbie" to learn on the job.

[MadtownPacker]

Wouldn't it be ironic of Sherm got the coaching job in SF now. Leaving McCarthy with the QB Sherm drafted and Sherm with the QB McCarthy draft, would be pretty funny imo.TT drafted Rodgers.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I agree with most. Most talented team in the league last year. I'm not big on Turner. I don't see him being any better than Marty.

[Patler]

Don't you just love Pro sports? The same tired old failures get recycled over and over and over again. It seems that many owners take comfort in the certainty of mediocrity rather than chancing the uncertainty of a young coach without head coaching experience.

I suppose San Diego is in little different situation with such a good team. Perhaps the experienced mediocre coach is more likely to take them on to a Super Bowl then a young and inexperienced coach is. Two years learning to be a head coach might take the team past its most competitive stage roster-wise.

[red]

WTF are they doing in SD?

Screwing up a 14-2 team...

dead on

[GoPackGo]

I suppose San Diego is in little different situation with such a good team. Perhaps the experienced mediocre coach is more likely to take them on to a Super Bowl then a young and inexperienced coach is. Two years learning to be a head coach might take the team past its most competitive stage roster-wise.

Thats exactly what i was going to say. San Diego isn't rebuilding. They just need an experienced Coach to manage the team.

[digitaldean]

Don't you just love Pro sports? The same tired old failures get recycled over and over and over again. It seems that many owners take comfort in the certainty of mediocrity rather than chancing the uncertainty of a young coach without head coaching experience.

I suppose San Diego is in little different situation with such a good team. Perhaps the experienced mediocre coach is more likely to take them on to a Super Bowl then a young and inexperienced coach is. Two years learning to be a head coach might take the team past its most competitive stage roster-wise.

This reminds me of when I was a kid in the 70s and retreads like Marion Campbell and Leeman Bennett would be picked up by team after team (only to crash and burn as usual).

This is Turner's 3rd team, right? I know he worked there before as a coordinator, but I fail to see the value in him. Yes, he's a good QB guy, but he's proven that he can't win.

[Charles Woodson]

Don't you just love Pro sports? The same tired old failures get recycled over and over and over again. It seems that many owners take comfort in the certainty of mediocrity rather than chancing the uncertainty of a young coach without head coaching experience.

I suppose San Diego is in little different situation with such a good team. Perhaps the experienced mediocre coach is more likely to take them on to a Super Bowl then a young and inexperienced coach is. Two years learning to be a head coach might take the team past its most competitive stage roster-wise.

This reminds me of when I was a kid in the 70s and retreads like Marion Campbell and Leeman Bennett would be picked up by team after team (only to crash and burn as usual).

This is Turner's 3rd team, right? I know he worked there before as a coordinator, but I fail to see the value in him. Yes, he's a good QB guy, but he's proven that he can't win.

Wait patler where has turner coached?

I thought he was in Miami, Oakland, Washington, Cowboys , 49ers and now SD?

I think

[Charles Woodson]

Also, are Norv turner and the Bears OC related?

[jmbarnes101]

I don't see this move helping San Diego at all. If they were wise they should have fired Schottenheimer right away and gave the keys to Cam Cameron. They would have had continuity and a coach liked by the players. Instead they let him go to Miami and bring in a very talented offensive coordinator who has not shown that he can be even a decent head coach.

[FritzDontBlitz]

Also, are Norv turner and the Bears OC related?

yes, they are brothers. supposedly ron turner's influence is why norv hired ron rivera for his defensive staff.

signing rivera in san diego weakens the chicago bears' defensive brain trust, and that's always great news for green bay.

[mraynrand]

I thought Norv Turner was part of a Tire Reef (see the Global Warming thread in the Romper room). As in RE-TREAD. Yikes. And I liked San Diego.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Norv Turner has been a head coach in the NFL for 9 seasons. His teams made the playoffs once--with one playoff win. His record is 50-something and 80-something. Why was this guy even interviewed by several teams?

[MJZiggy]

Because they know his name--and they know the casual fans will too. It all adds up to butts in the seats.