Norv Turner has been known for years in the NFL as an offensive guru and according to reports, he will have a chance to overhaul a new team this offseason.
ESPN is reporting that Turner, the recently fired head coach of the San Diego Chargers, will be joining the Cleveland Browns as offensive coordinator, according to a report by the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The same report also says that the Browns will also hire a defensive coordinator to replace Dick Jauron.
Both coaches will join newly hired head coach Rob Chudzinski, who was hired on Friday after spending two seasons as offensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers. Chudzinski was hired as the sixth head coach of the franchise to replace Pat Shurmur, who went 5-11 in 2012.
The Browns previously interviewed several college coaches as well as former Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt, who looked like he was the front-runner, before deciding on Chudzinski. It will be the first head coaching job for Chudzinski, who grew up in Toledo and was a fan of the team. He was also an assistant coach for the Browns and helped quarterback Cam Newton win the rookie of the year award last season with Carolina.
"Having the assistant head coach experience where I spent all the time with Norv and saw all the things he had to do, I've been around the people who've given me the opportunities to see what it takes to be a great head coach and hopefully I can put all those things together and get that done," Chudzinski said at his introductory news conference.
Chudzinski helped nurture quarterback Cam Newton and coached him during his record-setting rookie season. Newton had another successful year in the system, throwing for 3,869 yards and 19 touchdowns along with 741 yards and eight rushing scores. The Panthers ranked fifth in total offense in 2011 and 12th this past season, gaining over 130 rushing yards per game.
New owner Jimmy Haslam is putting his stamp on the franchise after moving on from Shurmur and has brought in a completely new coaching staff. Turner has previously been the head coach with the Redskins (1994-2000), Raiders (2004-05) and Chargers (2007-12).
"The game seems to be moving more and more towards offense," Banner said.
Turner is an offensive-minded guy and the solid play-caller the Browns need after a tough 2012 season. Turner was let go with one year and $3 million left on his contract in San Diego. He went 55-40 in seven seasons as head coach, but missed the playoffs for the third straight season after going 7-9 in 2012.
The Chargers had a talented roster in recent years, including quarterback Philip Rivers, Nate Kaeding, Shawne Merriman and Antonio Gates, but the franchise never turned into a Super Bowl contender. Although the team had its first losing season since 2003, the team hasn't made the playoffs for three straight seasons.
San Diego started the season with two straight wins, but struggled mightily during the middle of the season, winning just two of the next 10 games before defeating the Steelers 34-24. The team suffered a 7-6 loss to the Browns and also lost to the Panthers 31-7. The team finished the season with two straight wins over the Jets and Raiders, but it wasn't enough to save Turner or GM A.J. Smith's job.
The Chargers were ranked 20th in the league in scoring with 21 points per game and were ranked 24th in passing yards and 27th in rushing. The team dealt with injuries at running back and also struggled on passing defense, ranking 18th in the NFL. The Chargers were solid defending the run, allowing just 96 yards per game, but the team was ranked just 16th in the league in defensive scoring.
The Browns have only gone to the playoffs once in the past 14 years and hasn't finished over .500 since 2007, when the team went 10-6 and finished second in the AFC North. This season the Browns lost their first five games before defeating the Bengals 34-24, but then lost three of the next four games.
Cleveland ranked in the bottom-10 in the league in scoring with 18 points per game and ranked just 24th in the league in rushing, averaging just 99 yards per game.
Cleveland looked impressive in three straight wins against the Steelers, Raiders and Chiefs, but the team took a step back and lost the final three games of the regular season. The Browns are a young team, but there are a number of talented players on the roster, including quarterback Brandon Weeden and running back Trent Richardson, who were both drafted in the first round last year.
Turner is also connected to Chudzinski through working with him on the Chargers staff. Chudzinski was tight ends coach in San Diego with Pro Bowler Antonio Gates and directed a Cleveland offense in 2007 that won 10 games following four straight losing seasons.
Turner has been ran successful offenses all over the league, including in Dallas in the early 90s when the team ranked in the top 10 in offense for three straight seasons. Turner directed the No. 4-ranked offense in 1992 and 1993, wining a Super Bowl following the 1993 regular season while against over 350 yards per game.
One of the biggest issues for the Chargers last season was keeping Rivers clean. He took the most sacks in the league with 49, while the team was ranked 31st in the NFL in total yards per game. The Browns on the other hand did better on the offensive line, allowing just 28 sacks on rookie Brandon Weeden.
Weeden likely will benefit from working with Turner, who has coached quarterbacks such as Troy Aikman, Heath Schuler, John Friesz, Gus Frerotte, Jeff Hostetler, Trent Green, Brad Johnson and Jeff George.
