Old Friend of Vikings Joins Raiders

Oct 10, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Las Vegas Raiders helmet before the game against Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: ​Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports.

Remember Norv Turner? Yes, he’s still around — evidently.

Old Friend of Vikings Joins Raiders

The former Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator has resurfaced and will take on a role with the embattled Las Vegas Raiders.

Sep 18, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota offensive coordinator Norv Turner against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Packers 17-14. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted Tuesday amid the Raiders’ total descent into 2024 irrelevance: “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, Mike Garafolo, and Tom Pelissero. The ex-Raiders HC is back with the team, as his son Scott takes a more prominent role, too.”

The Las Vegas stop will mark Turner’s first NFL work in five years. Most thought he had retired.

Here’s Turner’s lengthy NFL resume to date:

Los Angeles Rams (1985–1990)
Wide receivers coach
Dallas Cowboys (1991–1993)
Offensive coordinator
Washington Redskins (1994–2000)
Head coach
San Diego Chargers (2001)
Offensive coordinator
Miami Dolphins (2002–2003)
Offensive coordinator
Oakland Raiders (2004–2005)
Head coach
San Francisco 49ers (2006)
Offensive coordinator
San Diego Chargers (2007–2012)
Head coach
Cleveland Browns (2013)
Offensive coordinator
Minnesota Vikings (2014–2016)
Offensive coordinator
Carolina Panthers (2018–2019)
Offensive coordinator
Carolina Panthers (2019)
Special assistant to the Head Coach
Las Vegas Raiders (2024–present)
Offensive consultant

The man has seen some things.

Sep 18, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner talks before the game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings win 17-14. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones predicted the Turner move on Monday, one day before its fruition: “Following the three offensive firings last night, the Raiders are considering bringing on veteran NFL coach Norv Turner in some role with the offense, source says. Scott Turner, his son, remains the leading candidate to be offensive coordinator.”

Turner joins a Raiders club in utter peril, recently firing offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello, and offensive line coach James Cregg. The upheaval arrives as the Raiders encounter a bye week, accompanied by a horrid 2-7 record, the league’s 32nd-ranked offense per EPA/Play, and the 19th-ranked defense.

Sep 8, 2019; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) talks with offensive coordinator Norv Turner prior to a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

The organization is rudderless and also doesn’t know which quarterback will start in Week 11. Gardner Minshew started last weekend in a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Desmond Ridder just joined via trade, and second-year passer Aidan O’Connell is on injured reserve.

Turner made his name famous in the early 1990s, offensively coordinating the Dallas Cowboys to its dynastic run. He later accepted head coaching jobs where his win-loss mark rarely topped .500.

Jul 27, 2015; Mankato, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner talks with his players in drills at training camp at Minnesota State University. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

The 72-year-old served as the Vikings’ offensive coordinator at the dawn of the Mike Zimmer era, though Turner unceremoniously departed in the middle of the 2016 campaign amid rumors of strife with Zimmer.

The Raiders are nearing mathematic elimination from the postseason.


Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL. 

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.