To coordinate for Chudzinski who just got the HC gig. Color me surprised. I mean, I like Chud and I wish him luck, but Cleveland's new owner just went from "we're going to get a major name, established HC; I don't care what I have to pay" to "We'll take the 1st time HC who's coming off a pretty subpar year by OC standards." On the plus side, Cleveland's got a pretty darn good OL, and probably the best Norv's had to work with since the Dallas days - though they're also in one of the most pass-rush rich divisions in the league. Any chance they have interest in trading a pair of 3rd round picks for Clipboard Jesus?
Interesting enough, this will mark the 2nd time Norv has worked as an assistant under one of his own former assistants.
I think Norv will implement that Dallas offense, with a RB like Richardson. They have decent receivers as well, Greg Little, Josh Gordon, and Travis Benjamin. As much as I disliked Norv at times here in SD, I wish him and Chud the best of luck in Cleveland. I think they can get it turned around there. Chud is familiar with Cleveland too having worked there, Romeo Crennel could be his DC there, Chud working with Crennel in the past.
I immediately thought.... poor Cleveland. How fortunate is he/will he be to go in there with Joe Thomas and Alex Mack on that line and a RB like Richardson. I guess he just needs to work some of the magic, that he might no longer have, on Weeden. I might have missed it but who will take care of their D cos both Chud and Norv are not too hot on that side of the ball?
We have 2. Here they are and I hope they both leave http://www.chargers.com/team/coaches/hal-hunter/189b2bca-c39f-4d6c-80df-9f46c678f148 http://www.chargers.com/team/coaches/mike-sullivan/0d4f9dda-9ddd-4a2a-aea8-0cfa6467bfaf
Would think that any new coach would want to put his own staff together..... they at least have that much control.
Doesn't always mean that the old guy won't be part of that new staff. Not sure how often it happens, but as bad as our line has been, I am hoping who ever the team coach is, brings in a top notch OL Coach
Good for him. I know he didn't work out here, but I still feel he'd make a decent OC somewhere else, and probably a valuable advisor to a rookie HC like Chudzinski, maybe even helpful to a not-so-young QB in Weeden. I wish him the best of luck there.
Hell, as crazy as it sounds, if it were possible I'd take Norv back as our OC. He is simply not a head coach and never will be again. But OC? He's still one of the best IMO.
Actually, from reading these posts for over a year, I think most here agree with you. While Norv took a lot of crap as a HC, most here would've chosen to keep him as an OC... but of course, that sort of thing rarely happens...just too awkward when a guy's been fired. And I also think that the overwhelming majority would agree that Norv "never' will be a HC again. I hate going along with the crowd, though, so I'll be the sacrificial lamb that argues that that might not in fact be true. Certainly, it can't happen in the immediate future. The guy's name has been dragged though the mud. But four or five years down the line, Norv will still be a young enough to coach. His overall HC record is just a bit below .500, but significantly better than when he got his 3rd HC job. He's won well over 100 NFL games, and over 58% in his most recent gig...something a weak, rebuilding team might value... especially if he totally rocks it as an OC, and makes becoming HC a condition of any team that wants him. Don't get me wrong: the name 'Norv Turner' is toxic right now...but I'm one of the few that sees a genuine possibility that someone looks at his record years from now, and asks "Hey, why all the hate for this guy?"
My head thinks that's not a bad idea My heart and soul are swearing up a storm My wallet refuses to go along with that suggestion
I'd gladly welcome Norv back as OC. The Chargers offense was a top 5 scoring offense in every year under Norv until this year, and a top 10 yardage offense every year but 2007 (20th), 2008 (11th), and this year. This year, of course, being the season the OL finally deteriorated to the point that their star QB whose main flaw is mobility had to start running for his life almost immediately after every snap. Does Norv make some questionable play calls? yeah, but who doesn't? But at the end of the day his offensive scheme was never our problem.
Norv had his problems and his fair share of the blame but he was not the main reason for the decline of the Bolts. When things starting going into the shiter early on, I mentioned that I'd like to somehow keep Norv around for an OC but it is very rare to have happen. If I recall he already left the Bolt's once after Marty was hired so it would be hard for him to hang in there.
Norv's second-half offensive scheme was a huge problem. It went like this: Abandon the run and draw up slow developing pass plays. It ended like this: Rivers sack (no quick pass plays), Rivers fumble (holding the ball too long because of no quick pass plays), Rivers interception (running for his life outside of the pocket do the math). The last one was solved too late in the season by having Rivers just throw the ball away. In the end, we get a new GM, new coach, and new OC and I'm okay with that.
It would be a tad dysfunctional to have him as our OC now. But I agree that he's still one of the best. Like Marty, it's hard not to root for Norv. They're both honest, hard-working guys who want to win as much as anybody.
Nitpick all you like at the end of the day the offensive rankings speak for themself. You cant blame fumbles on his scheme as that suggests he called a fumble. A fumble is a lack of execution of the scheme, not the scheme itself. In our case the problem was the OL not blocking. Can you fault Norv for not adapting to his talent faults with quicker passes? Maybe. But his track record shows that if you give him adequate talent to make his scheme work hell reward you with one of the NFL's best offenses, if not THE best.
And yeah i too am ok with moving on. But that doesn't mean ill discredit Norv where it is not deserved.
Keeping him as an OC would have been a terrible idea. It would have created a divided locker room of those players that support the new coach and those that didn't want Norv replaced. Thats why you will hardly ever see a HC get demoted to a coordinator role with their same team
I do agree with this. I was only speaking in a hypothetical, and likely very unrealistic scenario where human emotions don't ruin everything.
Personally, I think pro level athletes get over this sort of thing pretty quickly. Yes, that first Monday is weird, but then it's back to work--taking direction from various coaches--trying to win. I described it as "awkward" before, because I think it's (usually) too tough psychologically on the demoted coach...hard to be seen as not "the guy," where you once were. Much easier to start the same level job with a whole new bunch of guys, who really are only asking you to be a good OC. No other baggage.
