By all accounts, Norv Turner will be the new offensive coordinator of the Vikings. He carries with him a reputation as an offensive guru, which has most of Vikings Nation excited.
As with anything, of course, we wanted to make sure that this reputation is earned -- that Turner isn't just riding the steam of success from two decades ago when, in his first job as offensive coordinator, he helped the Cowboys win two Super Bowls.
As such, we went through Turner's coaching history to determine just how much of a help he can be. And, well, it turns out his reputation is not just smoke and mirrors. It is deserved. Here are year-by-year comparisons of the eight jobs Turner has previously held either as offensive coordinator or head coach, looking at the marks for the team the year before Turner arrived and the first year he was at the helm. Obviously, there are other factors at play -- most notably any personnel changes the team made -- but it's pretty impressive nonetheless. Remember, the first year listed is before he got there, and the second is his first season:
*Offensive coordinator: In 1990, the year before Turner arrived in Dallas as OC, the Cowboys had the 26th-ranked scoring offense. In 1991, they were No. 7.
*Head coach: In 1993, Washington was 25th in scoring; in 1994, Washington was 13th.
*Offensive coordinator: In 2000, the Chargers were 26th in scoring; in 2001, they were 14th.
*Offensive coordinator: In 2001, the Dolphins were 8th in scoring; in 2002, they were 12th, but the actually scored more points than they did the previous year.
*Head coach: In 2003, the Raiders were 27th in scoring; in 2004, they were 18th.
