Turner top candidate for Cowboys job

[mardigan]

IRVING, Texas -- Norv Turner got the best out of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin when he was the Dallas Cowboys' offensive coordinator. He thinks he can do the same with Tony Romo, Terrell Owens and the rest of the club as their next head coach.

Turner interviewed for the job Sunday, becoming the seventh -- and likely final -- candidate being considered by owner Jerry Jones.

He wasn't offered the job, however, and the two sides have not discussed contract terms, ESPN's Ed Werder reported Sunday night. But Turner and the Cowboys are expected to resume talking, and he continues to be the leading candidate in Dallas' search for a new coach, sources told Werder.

Turner made a strong impression with Jones, former coach Bill Parcells and vice president Stephen Jones, according to Werder. Turner tried to convince Jones that he is the best choice to mentor new hire Jason Garrett -- who'll likely serve as offensive coordinator -- while developing the skills of Romo. Turner also stressed that he is capable of assembling a defensive staff that could repair a unit that collapsed late in the season.


"In this league, it's all about timing and circumstance. ... I've got a lot of confidence in the things I can do. I think there are a lot of people in this league that look at it in that manner."
-- Norv Turner


"I was excited to get a chance to visit and talk about things that are important to me," said Turner, San Francisco's offensive coordinator. "In this league, it's all about timing and circumstance. ... I've got a lot of confidence in the things I can do. I think there are a lot of people in this league that look at it in that manner."

Turner was the offensive coordinator in Dallas from 1991-93. He called the plays that catapulted the Cowboys to Super Bowl titles his final two seasons. Along the way, he became so close with Aikman that Turner introduced the quarterback when he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last summer.

Although Turner went 59-83-1 over nine years as a coach with Washington and Oakland, he's considered the front-runner to replace Parcells because of his long relationship with Jones and the success they had together.

Turner had not been inside team headquarters since he was hired by the Redskins in February 1994. Being back triggered many memories.

"It's just a very, very unique place," he said. "When you're away from it some time you don't realize it. But it certainly hit me at Troy's Hall of Fame induction ceremony -- the Cowboys fans, all the people wearing Troy's jersey, just the excitement and energy that's always there with this organization."

Parcells retired Monday after going 34-32 the last four years. He went 0-2 in the playoffs, extending a postseason drought that dates to 1996.

Others being considered to replace him include Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, Gary Gibbs of New Orleans and Garrett, Aikman's longtime backup who already has been hired for an undetermined job.

Turner said he'd have no problem having Garrett on his staff. In fact, Turner tried getting Garrett on his staff in Oakland.

"That tells you a little something about how I feel about Jason," Turner said.

Jones also interviewed three of Parcells' assistant, including secondary coach Todd Bowles, who is black, thus fulfilling the league rule requiring a minority candidate.

The 54-year-old Turner has had his greatest success as an offensive coordinator.

His skill was evident again last season, when the 49ers averaged 80 yards per game more than the previous year when he was coaching the Raiders. Turner got Alex Smith to show why he'd been a No. 1 overall pick and he helped turn Frank Gore into the third-leading rusher in the NFL.

Dallas' offense was fine last season, scoring the second-most touchdowns and averaging the fourth-most points and fifth-most yards in the league. It was a collapse by the defense that had more to do with the Cowboys losing four of their last five games, including the final three.

Still, if Turner gets the job, a priority would be continuing the development of Romo, who went from undrafted, unused backup to Pro Bowl pick in only a half-season.

"My exposure to Tony is just from watching games on TV," Turner said. "Certainly he's an exciting player capable of making plays and really that's a big part of what this game is about, what this league is about. There's not a lot of guys that have that natural, great playmaking ability."

There's plenty of other talent on offense: Owens, who led the league in receiving touchdowns; Marion Barber, who led the NFC in rushing touchdowns; Julius Jones, who became the team's first 1,000-yard rusher since Smith; tight end Jason Witten, headed to his third straight Pro Bowl; and receiver Terry Glenn.

Owens, who is due a $3 million roster bonus in June, is as flamboyant as they come. Turner is used to that, having dealt with Irvin and, more recently, with Randy Moss in Oakland.

"I want to coach good players," Turner said. "Being with a new team, there's an evaluation process, and there's a lot of things that go into it. I like the players that are here and T.O. is one of them."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.



Not excited aboot this at all

[Vinnie_Johnson]

Damn this is a bad move IMO Norv is a good OC but not a head coach. I am thinking Jerry is going to make a runat Lovie.

[mardigan]

Damn this is a bad move IMO Norv is a good OC but not a head coach. I am thinking Jerry is going to make a runat Lovie.
I agree totally, I dont like this one bit. I was really hoping for Wade, hopefully this is some kind of smokescreen

[Fillmoe]

I dont want Turner to leave... dude is a great OC

[Duff McCartney]

Great...so the defense is the Cowboys biggest problem and we go out and get an offensive minded coach.....yeah real smart.

I personally have just never been a fan of Norv Turner. No doubt his offense was really good when he was the OC, but he doesn't have that dominating line to block for the Cowboys runners.

When he went to Washington he didn't do anything.

[kskonn]

I was and still am in Wade Phillips corner on this. Norv is a great OC but I don't think this is what the cowboys need. More importantly I don't think they will get a top flight Defensive coordinator without hiring one as a head coach.

[MajorMike]

Turner will be a puppet for JJ. Turner sucks at player management and talent aquisition.


In 1994, following his success with the Cowboys, Turner was hired as the head coach of the Washington Redskins. In seven seasons with the Redskins, he went 49-59-1. They made the playoffs only once, in 1999, where they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round.

Following his tenure with the Redskins, Turner went on to serve as offensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers in 2001 and Miami Dolphins in 2002 and 2003.

When the Oakland Raiders fired head coach Bill Callahan following the 2003 season, owner Al Davis hired Turner to replace him. Turner went 5-11 in 2004, followed by a 4-12 record in 2005, and was fired on January 3, 2006. During Turner's two years with the Raiders, he managed only one win against his division, the AFC West. In addition, Turner was unable to jumpstart an offense that, in 2005, included All-Pro wide receiver Randy Moss.

On January 17, 2006, Turner was named offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers, a reversal of roles of sorts: current 49ers head coach Mike Nolan served as Turner's defensive coordinator from (1997-1999) with the Washington Redskins.

Since leaving Dallas:
HC Wash - 49-59-1
OC SD - 5-11
OC Miami - 19-13 no playoffs
HC Raiders - 9-23
OC SF - 7-9
Overall - 89-115-1

Seems like a great candidate to me.

[Mr Dio]

So it's almost 4p and I heard Oak signed a new O Coor.

Had mistakenly thought it was SF................I still think Norv is coming in. JG as O Coor, and who as D Coor?

[mardigan]

Its looking more and more like this is going to happen, so I think this is just something Boys fans are going to have to deal with. I dont hate Norv or anything he brings to the table, he got raw deals in Washington and Oakland, but I dont know if he can handle the personalitys on this team, I was hoping for Wade, but I guess we will just have to see how this plays out

[mardigan]

I just read, Witten made the Pro Bowl in place of Shockey, kick ass

[mardigan]

IRVING, Texas - Here is all Jerry Jones needs to do to make a definitive decision on just who the seventh head coach in Dallas Cowboys history should be:

Drop in the NFL Films Greatest Games tape from the 1992 NFC Championship game, Dallas-San Francisco, played on Jan. 17, 1993, in muddy, soggy, Candlestick Park.

The Cowboys won that game, 30-20, one that to this day, 14 years later, will give you chills and raise the hairs on the back of your neck. I did that Saturday night, almost as an after-thought, since I found my 1985 VCR tape of the Chicago Bears Super Bowl Shuffle, the famed video the first-time Super Bowl-bound Bears made to "help the needy." Wanted to get fully ready for a week at Super Bowl XLI. What a hoot.

Fittingly, the Championship game tape was right next to it. Should have called Jerry and invited him over. The popcorn was ready.

Sure, the Cowboys had what might turn out to be three Pro Football Hall of Fame players on that team: Troy Aikman, obviously; Emmitt Smith, in three more years; and quite possibly Michael Irvin, in a week. Sure they had the NFL's top-ranked defense, with the likes of Charles Haley, Russell Maryland, Tony Casillas, Ken Norton Jr., rookie Kevin Smith, Jimmie Jones, Tony Tolbert, et al. Sure they had how 'bout dem Cowboys Jimmy Johnson as head coach.

But they also had someone the proud San Francisco 49ers, smugly playing at home on a field that had to be below sea level, never could figure out:

Norv Turner. He was the Cowboys' second-year offensive coordinator. He was calling the plays. He was masterful, keeping the Niners off-balance with those dump-off passes to Smith and Daryl Johnston; with surprise blasts up the middle from D.J.; by pounding Smith, even though he was bottled up for the most part in the game; with those incessant third-down slants to Michael Irvin; and of course, the famed slant to Alvin Harper which went 70 yards to the San Francisco 9 with the Cowboys holding a precarious 24-20 lead.

The Cowboys had Turner, and San Francisco didn't.

Well, 14 years later, the shoe is on the other foot. San Francisco has Turner. He's the offensive coordinator. But the Cowboys want him, Jones interviewing his former offensive coordinator most of the day here on Sunday for the head coach position vacated by Bill Parcells last Monday.

If you are scoring at home, Turner is the seventh candidate to be interviewed - and possibly the last since no more are known to be scheduled - following Tony Sparano, Todd Bowles, Todd Haley, Jason Garrett (hired at least as an offensive assistant with title-to-be-named-later), Wade Phillips and Gary Gibbs. And it appears Jones would like to decide in the next couple of days, and might want to bring his new head coach to Miami with him on Thursday for his annual Super Bowl trip.

Obviously Haley is out. He just left to become the Arizona offensive coordinator. Not sure the interviews with Sparano and Bowles were more than courtesy talks, but also to let both know they were wanted here. Garrett might be the head coach someday soon, but not after just two years of coaching, period. Much was made of the Phillips interview since he's a 3-4 guru and the Cowboys have played the 3-4 the past two years, although rather unspectacularly the final five games of this past season.

But look, there is nothing that says, especially the defensive personnel, the Cowboys can't go back to the 4-3 they have played for 45 years of their 47-season history. Might be even better suited for that.

As for Gibbs, that interview on Saturday seemed to come out of left field, though Gibbs certainly has fine coaching credentials, including as head coach at the University of Oklahoma. As he even admitted Saturday, "You better beat Texas" if you want to stick around at OU, which was his Waterloo.

But Turner, to me, he makes so much sense there was no need for the 54-year-old former Oregon quarterback who said this was "the first time I've been back in this building since I was part of the organization" to even head to the airport to ostensibly fly back to the West Coast - unless it was to retrieve wife Nancy and his best power suit.

Who knows, he might already have signed on the dotted line. Makes that much sense.

Obviously Turner would have no qualms with Garrett already having been hired. He tried to hire the former Cowboys backup quarterback three years ago in Oakland. He knows Jason that well, and knows darn well he wouldn't have been available to hire this week. And who better to intern under as a first-time offensive coordinator (although certainly Turner would run the offense) than the protégé of Ernie Zampese, who was the protégé of Don Coryell? That's some point-scoring lineage there.

Here is another factor. Why, when Miami turned down every Butch, Nick and Romeo permission to hire Garrett, who had one year left on his contract as quarterbacks coach with the Dolphins, did the Cowboys suddenly receive permission? Yeah, I know, sounds good that Garrett had a real affinity to return to his Dallas playing roots, and the Dolphins were obliging. But I'm not so sure the NFL is all that sentimental.

How about Cam Cameron, the Dolphins' newly-named head coach, doing Norv a favor? You realize, it was Turner who got Cameron started in the NFL, hiring him as his quarterbacks coach that first year he was head coach in Washington (1994)? And it was Turner whom Cameron followed after five seasons as the Indiana University head coach to San Diego (2002) as offensive coordinator.

Interesting, huh?

Now then, let's move on. Does it also not make sense the Cowboys would hire an offensively-oriented head coach? We know all about the need to continue grooming the young Tony Romo. But don't forget this offense scored 425 points in 2006, two short of being second in the NFL, and really, all but one of the guys who had his fingerprints all over that offense has departed. Gone are Parcells (heaviest), Haley, Anthony Lynn, Chris Palmer (just hired by the Giants) and David Lee, leaving only Sparano and first-year tight ends coach Freddie Kitchens behind.

Plus, here is what everyone overlooks about Turner since he seems most heralded from his development of quarterbacks - from Troy Aikman, to getting Gus Frerotte to the Pro Bowl in Washington, to the Skins' Brad Johnson leading the league in passing, to grooming rookie Drew Brees at San Diego, to nursing Jay Fiedler for two seasons in Miami, to milking 3,495 passing yards out of Kerry Collins in Oakland, to nearly doubling the struggling Alex Smith's QB rating this season in San Francisco, going from 40.8 to 74.8, along with increasing his touchdown passes from one to 16.

Turner is a football-running-coordinating dude. Emmitt Smith led the NFL in rushing Turner's three years in Dallas. Terry Allen had two 1,300-yard seasons in Washington under Turner. Stephen Davis rushed for what was then a Washington single-season high 1,405 yards under Turner in 1999, and then turned in a 1,318-yard season in 2000 when Turner was fired after 13 games (7-6, the last three losses by a total of six points).

Let's see then. In his only season as offensive coordinator at San Diego, rookie LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 1,236 yards in an offense that jumped from 28th in the NFL to 11th. In 2002, his first of two seasons coordinating the Dolphins' offense, Ricky Williams rushed for 1,853 yards and then 1,372 the next year- the top two rushing performances in club history.

And this past season, San Francisco's Frank Gore, following a 608-yard rookie season, led the NFC in rushing with a club-record 1,690 yards, helping the 49ers to improve from 18 last year to sixth. That meant since arriving in Dallas in 1991, Turner's lead running backs, no matter if he was the head coach or the OC, averaged more than 1,200 yards a season.

The Cowboys sure can use some of all that.

Fine, you say, but what about the defense?

Glad you asked.

You know, the Cowboys were just about to turn this defense over to Bowles had Parcells remained, since the head coach would have kept an eye on what would have been a first-time coordinator. Obviously that's no longer the case, but I've got a great idea.

Make Bowles the defensive coordinator, but then bring in - and I want absolutely no snickering on this one - Dave Campo to oversee the defense, maybe be the assistant head coach or something. Look, Jacksonville was willing to let Campo, the Jaguars' assistant head coach/secondary coach, interview for the D-coordinator spot in San Francisco this past week. And say what you want about Campo as a head coach here, no better than 5-11 his three seasons, but he was - and still is - a damn good defensive coordinator. Remember the 2006 opener?

Who better to continue grooming Bowles, if that's the way the Cowboys want to go? Then, just go back to playing the 4-3, which would take no time at all - or added personnel - to transition to this year. Hands of Greg Ellis and DeMarcus Ware go on the ground at end. Jason Ferguson and a combination of Marcus Spears, Chris Canty and maybe Jay Ratliff inside. Bradie James in the middle, Akin Ayodele returns to his strong side and Bobby Carpenter goes weak. Go find me a free safety, and let's play.

So to ol' simpleton me, this all looks pretty easy, if not already thought out to this point from the very start. Cuz' remember, Jones doesn't fly all that much by the seat of his pants. He's had an idea all along.

"This is a very unique place," said Turner, affording himself a bit of reminisce on this day, "and that hit me at Troy's Hall of Fame induction, with all the Cowboys fans there and the people wearing Troy's jerseys."

Turner is very unique in his own right. And if Jones needs to be hit himself with some Turner good-ol-days memories, just ask. I'll pop that tape in for him.

[mardigan]

Chris Palmer was hired by the Giants today, guess we are bringing in pretty much a whole new staff

[Fillmoe]

Chris Mortensen is reporting Norv Turner will be announced head coach of Dallas on Wednesday...........



SHIT FUCK MOTHERFUCKER SON OF A BITCH FUCK BASTARD FUCKS PIECE OF SHIT COWBOY FUCKS!

Norv was really having a positive effect on Alex Smith.... dude was finally looking like a NFL qb..... 3rd year in the league and it will be his 3rd offense hes gonna have to learn..... FUCKING GREAT!

[mardigan]

You might be losing big Mike as well

[Mr. Peabody]

You might be losing big Mike as well

Isn't Singletary still under contract? If so, the Cowboys can't hire him away unless they make him HC.

[scott]

If Norv is HC, don't be surprised to see the return of Campo as DC

[Vinnie_Johnson]

Jerry WTF it's like Chan Galley(sp) all over.

[Pugglekicker_21]

His rookie statistics are among the worst of any rookie in NFL history. In his first NFL season throwing for 875 yards, completing just 50.9% of his throws (84/165), along with one touchdown, 11 interceptions and 11 fumbles to finish with a 40.8 passer rating; that touchdown came in the 49ers' last game of the season.


fast foward one year....

Smith improved greatly in the 2006 season. His completion percentage improved to 58.1%. He finished the 2006 season with 16 passing TDs, 16 INTs and 2 rushing TDs to go along with 2,890 yards passing and a Quarterback rating of 74.8.

all because of NORV TURNER i say get him and then let him turn romo into a god, and teaching him how to hold PAT's.

[mardigan]

Romo wont be holdin pats next year, thank god

[johnsmith]

This is such a bad decision in my opinion. Cowboys fans deserve to be pissed over this one. The mediocrity will go on.

[Duff McCartney]

I think Parcells fucked up by leaving but I don't think it was entirely his fault. He threw a monkey wrench into the whole plan. Keep Bill for one more year and then hire Cowher or Fisher.

I don't want Turner anymore...like I've said in other posts, he doesn't have a dominant line to run the ball with anymore.