Everyone knows that there are always two topics to avoid when socializing: Religion and politics. However, since February 19, 2007 in San Diego, there has been a third: Norv Turner.
Even the slightest utterance of the head coach’s name can spark heated debates that seemingly last for hours. So much so that it’s treated in San Diego bars much like Lord Voldemort’s name was at Hogwarts — with hush and whispers. After all, no one wants to start up a discussion that has the potential to anger and enrage everyone involved — especially when those involved are likely drunk.
However, on Sunday evening, I thought all of the debates — Marty, 14-2 references included — were finally going to end. I believed, as many did in San Diego, that the fear of mentioning Norv Turner’s name in conversation would finally be quelled with his firing on Monday morning.
Monday morning came and passed. News reports started to detail that the Chargers might actually retain Norv Turner — the worst nightmare imaginable for most fans of the team.
I didn’t believe it. There’s no way a team that has missed the playoffs in two straight years would retain a coach who is so unpopular when they’re in the midst of trying to gain public support for a new stadium. It’d be a PR nightmare for the Spanos family. I mean, they already had trouble selling tickets this season with season ticket sales being at the lowest level in several years. With all that said, no way Norv Turner could possibly stay the coach, right?
Wrong. It was announced on Tuesday afternoon — much to the chagrin of fans everywhere — Norv Turner would return as the head coach of the Chargers for the 2012-2013 season.
There’s no question that this decision by Dean Spanos is extremely unpopular, but it’s the right decision when considering all of the circumstances. (Yes, you read that correctly; I said, Spanos made the RIGHT decision in sticking with Norv Turner as head coach.)
For starters, there’s no possible guarantee that Spanos could have hired someone that could do a better job than Norv can right now. Who is out there other than Jeff Fisher? Jon Gruden and Bill Cowher have both explicitly stated their unwillingness to give up their cushy TV jobs for a return to the NFL next season, so they’re out.
Who else? Jay Gruden and Rob Chudzinski are both up-and-coming coordinators, who many consider at least a year away from being ready for head coaching positions. Even if we pretend that they’re ready this year, it’s doubtful that either one could come in and have success with this team in their first year. (Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers are the exception, not the rule; don’t be naïve.)
The fact is that there just aren’t that many qualified candidates for head coaching positions this year. Did Spanos really want to count on winning the Jeff Fisher sweepstakes — which already has Miami and St. Louis as strong contenders — or hope that Jon Gruden and/or Bill Cowher suddenly change their minds? Do you see the risk in that? If you don’t grab one of those guys and have to settle for a guy like Jay Gruden or Rob Chudzinski, then did you really get any better? Maybe you’ll catch lightning in a bottle like the 49ers have with Jim Harbaugh, or maybe — and much more likely — you’ll catch a dud like the Broncos and Chiefs did with Josh McDaniels and Todd Haley, respectively.
You see, if the Chargers can’t snag a proven head coach then Norv Turner is the next best proven commodity out there. His record is 49-31 as the Chargers’ head coach, which is a .633 winning percentage and ranks fifth in the NFL over the last five years. He also has a 3-3 record in the playoffs, which is the best mark of any coach in Chargers history. Therefore, it makes sense to hold on to Turner for the time being, since there are so few qualified replacements. Replacing him with an up-and-coming type who has no head coaching experience is a risky proposition with no guarantees for the future.
Let’s just pretend for a second that it was a sure thing that the Chargers could hire Jeff Fisher. Yes, he’s a well-respected, proven head coach, but is it certain he would have done a better job than Norv has done with this Chargers team? I’m not so sure.
In Norv’s defense, this team was decimated by injuries this year. At one point, only two starters remained on the offensive line. In addition, Philip Rivers — usually the Chargers’ most steady and prolific contributor — had his worst statistical season ever. And to blame Rivers’ struggles on Norv would be inaccurate and foolish.
What were the predictions for this team in the beginning of the year anyway? I believe 10-6 was the most popular prediction that was going around between experts and fans. So, is 8-8 really that big of a disappointment considering all of the significant injuries, the bad quarterback, and dismal defensive play the Chargers endured this season? I don’t think it is. Sure, it’s a disappointment, but is Norv really the root of the problem? No, he’s not.
Let’s face it; this team is a far cry talent-wise from the team that went 14-2 in 2006. This roster doesn’t scream playoffs anymore. It’s a roster that’s in decline and has been in that state for the last two years. Norv Turner doesn’t control player personnel and he can only coach the players that he’s given. Therefore, the root of the Chargers’ struggles in recent years is AJ Smith, not Norv Turner. Smith’s failure in recent drafts and free agency has robbed the Chargers of the important depth and talent that made them so successful in past years.
With this roster, the Chargers were a borderline playoff team in the beginning of the season. They ended the season coming up one game short of the playoffs, which coincides with the borderline prediction. So what are we all complaining about?
I believe that Jeff Fisher wouldn’t choose the Chargers over the Rams job unless he was able to hire his own guy to be the GM, since that’s what the Rams are offering him. That would mean bye-bye AJ Smith, which likely would lead to a massive upheaval of the Chargers roster, as Fisher and his guy probably wouldn’t agree with some — probably most, for that matter — of the personnel decisions that AJ has made in recent years. So, ponder this: Would the Chargers be able to overcome new systems for both the offense and defense, new players, and a new coaching staff to make the playoffs next year? (Remember: Jim Harbaugh’s 49ers are not the likely outcome of that kind of scenario.)
The cold hard truth of the matter is that they probably wouldn’t make the playoffs in that scenario. They’d likely be in a rebuilding mode for the next couple years, which would waste the remaining years that Philip Rivers, Vincent Jackson, Malcom Floyd, and Antonio Gates — who all will be in their thirties by the end of next season — have left in their primes.
By sticking by Norv, the Chargers give themselves continuity and certainty heading into the future. That gives them the best chance at making the playoffs next year, and therefore the best chance at winning a championship while their star players are still very much in the most productive stages of their careers.
Agree to disagree.
