Many young football coaches dream of one day reaching the professional level.

 

They realize that it will probably take years of climbing through the ranks in high school and college. They know that a premium is placed on winning, so they must compile an impressive record. And because the chances are remote, they need to have some good fortune along the way.

 

Of course, an equally important aspect of advancing in the pigskin profession involves establishing contacts. If you are a friend or associate of other successful coaches, they can hire you themselves or recommend you to fill vacancies. Then, once your proverbial foot is in the door, you become a household name and a potential candidate for future positions.

 

In the gridiron recycle bin that is today’s NFL, perhaps no man has benefited more than Norv Turner. He was recently named head coach of the Chargers, having previously held the same position with two other teams, Washington and Oakland. Even though he failed miserably in both places, his “experience” was cited as a primary reason that he landed the new gig.

 

That certainly sounds better than describing him as “a veteran of losing.”

 

For the Cold, Hard Football Facts, this hiring really hits a nerve. There are plenty of former head coaches with records that are actually well above .500. There are numerous qualified coordinators who haven’t been given a shot yet. But Turner, whose career winning percentage is a putrid .415, gets a third opportunity?

 

Over seven seasons with the Redskins and two with the Raiders, Turner has posted a combined record of 58-82-1. By landing in San Diego, where he spent one season as an offensive coordinator, he now holds a very dubious distinction: He has the worst winning percentage of anyone hired to coach a third different NFL team.

 

For his privileged career path, Turner owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to John Robinson, the coach who spent more than two decades in Los Angeles (12 years at USC sandwiched around nine with the Rams). A former end at the University of Oregon, Robinson returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach. Turner played quarterback for him there, and when Robinson became the head coach at Southern Cal, he hired Turner to work with the receivers. After Robinson had left to guide the Rams, Turner was again brought in as receivers coach.

 

Six years later – at Robinson’s urging – Jimmy Johnson hired Turner to be his offensive coordinator in Dallas. The Cowboys won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1992 and 1993, and Turner became a hot commodity. He was promptly hired as the head coach in Washington, where he spent seven lackluster seasons.

 

Throughout the 90s, it definitely paid to be a member of the “Old ’Boy Network.” Four of Johnson’s former assistants – Turner, Dave Wannstedt, Dave Campo and Butch Davis – went on to become head coaches.

 

None of them succeeded.

 

A year ago, after a pair of woeful seasons in Oakland resulted in Turner’s firing, we thought that it mercifully signaled the demise of Johnson’s coaching tree.

 

We clearly underestimated the magnitude of the league’s recycling program.

 

Somewhere, Rich Kotite must be wondering why his number hasn’t come up again. In six seasons as the head coach of the Eagles and Jets, he went 40-56 (.417). And like Turner, he has a 1-1 record in the playoffs.

 

Better stay close to the phone, Richie.

 

Only two men have owned a worse winning percentage than Turner’s .415 when they served a third stint as an NFL head coach – and each of them had an asterisk. Here’s the book on each:

Playing 10 NFL seasons, mostly as an offensive tackle for Cleveland in the late 50s and early 60s, McCormack helped pave the way for Jim Brown and was eventually inducted into the Hall of Fame. His coaching career was much less successful, however. After winning barely more than a third of his games in Philly and Baltimore, his third chance to be a head coach came when Seattle fired Jack Patera in 1982. McCormack took over on an interim basis and finished out the strike-shortened season.

 

A two-way star at the University of Georgia, Campbell went on to become a two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman for Philadelphia. Not surprisingly, his head coaching opportunities came in the two states where he was revered. Despite struggling mightily during sideline stints with the Falcons and Eagles, Campbell got another crack at being the head man in Atlanta. After Dan Henning was fired in late December of 1986, the Falcons conducted a six-week search that generated several big names – Dick Vermeil, Terry Donahue, Bill Parcells. But when there were no takers, the job fell to Campbell, the team’s defensive coordinator, almost by default.

 

 

There is actually a strong parallel between Campbell and Turner. Each excelled as a position coach and coordinator but didn’t fare nearly as well when placed in charge of an entire team. Campbell was the architect behind two of the league’s most famous defenses: the Rams’ “Fearsome Foursome” and the Vikings’ “Purple People Eaters.”

 

Unlike Campbell and McCormack, Turner has at least enjoyed some productive seasons as a head coach. His best came in 1999, when he guided the Redskins to a 10-6 record and a wild-card victory over the Lions. They subsequently lost to Tampa Bay in the divisional round, but it remains the only time that a Turner-led team has made the playoffs.

 

Considering all the talent he has inherited, Turner would really have to hinder the Chargers to prevent them from reaching the postseason.