Norv Turner – Nice Guy, Bad Head Coach

November 1, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers head coach Norv Turner prior to the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-US PRESSWIRE

I realize that I bag on San Diego Chargers head coach Norv Turner a lot.  I think that my complete dislike of the man may have a little (ok, a lot) to do with what he has done to our beloved Chargers, not the kind of person he is.  I took some time to read about the man outside of coaching and he is actually a likeable guy.  He is also not a bad offensive coordinator.  He is just a bad head coach.  Period.  I think his history says a lot, so I do not need to go on and on as to why he needs to be released back into the wild.  If you follow the Chargers or even football in general you know he holds a few records.  You may also know his record as a head coach is 115–121–1.  Here are some things you may not know about coach Turner that makes him a nice guy.

He thinks San Diegans are nice.  Well duh, we are!  In a recent San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles magazine interview he commented about how Charger fans are respectful to him even when the Bolts are not performing at par and how he had not experienced that in any of the other cities he coached in.

He is a family man.  Norv was raised by a single mom and she had MS.  He plays in a charitable golf tournament for MS every year.  He and his wife have three children.  Norv, his wife and their youngest son, Drew, live in Del Mar. Drew is a senior at USD.  Stephanie, their only daughter, lives in LA, and works as an actress.  The oldest of the three, Scott, is the offensive quality control coach for the Carolina Panthers.

He likes Dachshunds.  He and his wife Nancy have two that they are very proud to own.

He played football.  Turner played quarterback and safety at Alhambra High School in Martinez. He earned a scholarship to the University of Oregon and won three varsity letters (1972-74) as a quarterback for the Ducks, spending two of his three seasons as the backup to former Charger and Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts.

He drinks Pinot Grigio?  Ok, this might be his wife Nancy, but when Brad Perry of KUSI was in Turners home he did his fridge peek bit and there were quite a few opened bottles of white wine in there.  Also, Sriracha, kudos on that!

So, like him or not, January, 2013 is when his current contract is set to expire.  The odds of the Chargers making the playoffs this year is pretty slim.  The Broncos would have to unravel in a fashion that we have not seen in a Peyton Manning led team.  That being said, I expect Norv Turners tenure as San Diego Chargers head coach to end when the Chargers season ends.  Then he can just be another nice San Diegan.

Have a great day and Boltup!

ChargerGirl Cindi