Las Vegas Raiders hire former Minnesota Vikings OC Norv Turner

Then, word came out that head coach Antonio Pierce was planning to hand offensive coordinator and play-calling duties to passing game coordinator Scott Turner. who used to be an assistant coach with the Vikings, when his dad Norv Turner was the Vikings’ OC.

And speaking of Norv, news broke on Tuesday that he is coming out of retirement to come help his son run the Las Vegas Raiders’ offense, now that Getsy is gone. You read that right. The 72-year-old Norv Turner is returning to the NFL.

The #Raiders are hiring one of the NFL’s most respected offensive minds, bringing in Norv Turner as an assistant to help guide their offense, per me, @MikeGarafolo and @TomPelissero.

The ex-#Raiders HC is back with the team, as his son Scott takes a more prominent role, too. pic.twitter.com/6k7185yuTC

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 5, 2024

Around the NFL block

Norv Turner was never a head coach for the Minnesota Vikings. He does have 15 years of NFL head coaching experience, though. He went 114-122-1 as an NFL head coach. His first head job came in Washington, from 1994 to 2000.

Then, he was hired by the Raiders (back when they were in Oakland) for the 2004 and 2005 seasons. After one year without a head coaching job (2006), Turner was hired by the San Diego Chargers. He enjoyed his second-longest as a head coach with the Chargers, from 2007 to 2012.

Related: Patriots Signing Offensive Lineman Off Minnesota Vikings Practice Squad

Norv’s first coordinator job in the NFL came in Dallas, where he was OC from 1991 to 1993. In total, Norv Turner has piled up 28 years of coordinator/head coaching experience in the NFL. That is what the Raiders are adding to their locker room. Oh, and he is the father of their new interim offensive coordinator, Scott Turner. That helps too.

Norv was with the Vikings from 2014 to 2016, before he quit mid-season after an altercation with Mike Zimmer. Then, he stopped at Carolina for two seasons (2018-2019). He’s been out of the NFL for five years… but not anymore.

But as he makes his coaching tree, there are already other former Viking assistants from past regimes, who are now getting bigger and better opportunities around the NFL. Just to name a few: Kevin Stefanski (HC – Browns), Scott Turner (Pass Game Coordinator – Raiders), Klint Kubiak (OC – Saints) .

Raiders thinking about Scott Turner as new play caller

Two of the names listed were assistants in Minnesota when the offense was being run by their legendary fathers, something that is very common within NFL coaching ranks. The aforementioned Scott Turner worked for the Vikings, under his dad Norv Turner, when Mike Zimmer was head coach.

Related: Kirk Cousins Gets Best of Mike Zimmer in Battle of Former Vikings

A couple of stops later, he landed in Las Vegas, where head coach, Antonio Pierce, is now thinking about handing him the playbook on offense. Why? The Raiders have not been good this year. After the 41-24 drubbing on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Raiders now sit at just 2-7 on the season.

At 2-7, #Raiders coach Antonio Pierce felt he needed to make some kind of changes, and more are expected. Former Washington OC Scott Turner is a logical candidate to take over as playcaller. https://t.co/ySFO7md9Ij

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 4, 2024

Of course when your starting quarterback options are Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell (who is now hurt) expectations are going to be low. Still, Davante Adams forced his way out and Brock Bowers is being wasted, despite an impressive rookie season. The hope in Vegas is that Scott Turner can the offense moving.

Las Vegas quarterbacks combined to throw the ball 33 times on Sunday but averaged just six yards per attempt for a total of 157 yards. They found the end zone only a single time, and the running game turned in just 60 yards on 21 carries. No matter how you look at it, the performance was awful.

Raiders hope former Minnesota Vikings assistant can turn things around

Let's watch this play again, shall we.

📺: #LVvsCIN on FOX pic.twitter.com/mBBEDE44hi

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) November 3, 2024

The Raiders have little to lose the rest of the way, and they don’t have much in the form of more talented personnel to implement. Head coach Antonio Pierce may be looking to Turner in hopes of seeing what he has be more aggressively utilized.

Related: NFL Insider Expects Another Minnesota Vikings Trade Soon

If Scott Turner is able to secure the nod as play-caller, he could parlay the opportunity into a more high profile assistant job, whether that is with the Raiders, or elsewhere.