Norv Turner

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Personal information

Date of birth

May 17, 1952 (age 60)

Place of birth

Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

Alma mater

University of Oregon

University of Oregon
(graduate assistant)
USC
(wide receivers coach)
USC
(defensive backs coach)
USC
(quarterbacks coach)
USC
(offensive coordinator)
Los Angeles Rams
(Wide Receivers Coach)
Dallas Cowboys
(Offensive Coordinator)
Washington Redskins
(Head Coach)
San Diego Chargers
(Offensive Coordinator)
Miami Dolphins
(Offensive Coordinator)
Oakland Raiders
(Head Coach)
San Francisco 49ers
(Offensive Coordinator)
San Diego Chargers
(Head Coach)

Norval Eugene Turner[1] (born May 17, 1952) is the former head coach of the National Football League's San Diego Chargers. He also has served as head coach of the Washington Redskins and the Oakland Raiders, and as offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins, and San Francisco 49ers. He is the brother of former University of Illinois head football coach and former Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner.

Early career

Turner was a student at Alhambra High School in Martinez, California. In football, he played quarterback and safety. He graduated from Alhambra in 1970 and then attended the University of Oregon, where he was a back-up quarterback to future San Diego Charger and Hall of Famer Dan Fouts.

Coaching career

After serving as a graduate assistant coach at Oregon, Turner was an assistant coach for the USC Trojans from 1976 to 1984. From 1985 to 1990, he was an assistant with the Los Angeles Rams.

Dallas Cowboys

Turner was the offensive coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys on Jimmy Johnson's staff when Dallas won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1992 and 1993. Turner got much of the credit for not only their success, but for helping shape quarterback Troy Aikman into a Hall of Fame player. Upon arriving in Dallas, Turner took over an offense that was dead last in the NFL in total yards averaging 255.1 yds/gm and scoring 15.2 pts/gm, his impact was immediate. In 1991 the offense jumped to 9th in total yds with 318.8/gm and scoring 21.4/gm, and 4th in 1992 (350.4 yds/gm, 25.6 pts/gm) and 4th in 1993 (350.9 yds/gm, 23.5 pts/gm). Emmitt Smith led the NFL in rushing all 3 yrs under Norv Turner, winning Super Bowl XXVIII MVP. No team before in the Super Bowl era had won with the leading rusher before Emmitt Smith under Turner in 1992 and 1993. The Dallas Cowboys had a record of 21–1 in the regular season and 5–0 in the postseason when Emmitt Smith ran for 100+ yards in a game under Turner's guidance of the offense from 1991–1993, usually gaining the lead early with big plays from Aikman to Irvin and Novacek then finishing off drives with Smith and that overpowering front line. Troy Aikman had a record of 7–18 as a starter before Turner's arrival, then 31–11 in the regular season and 6–0 as a starter in the post season winning Super Bowl XXVII MVP. Michael Irvin never finished lower than 2nd in the NFL in receiving yards under Norv. Overall the Cowboys record was 42–13 with 3 playoff appearances, winning 2 NFC East Division Titles (1992, 1993), 2 NFC Championships (1992, 1993), 3 Rushing Titles (1991–1993 Emmitt Smith), 1 League MVP (1993 Emmitt Smith), and 2 Super Bowls (XXVII, XXVVIII), in Turner's years in Dallas.