Norv Turner coaches before a game against the Chicago Bears at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Schwane-USA TODAY Sports
Minnesota Vikings new head coach Mike Zimmer is a strong hire and clearly deserves the first-time opportunity at being the head coach of an NFL franchise, but he will need a strong offensive coordinator in order to guide him through his first season- and beyond- in Minnesota. Former head coach Leslie Frazier was a defense-minded head coach like Zimmer, but his time came to a close due to the team’s inability to defend the pass or throw the ball effectively. Both will have to change under Zimmer, who needs to get more out of the defense and hire an offensive coordinator who can help develop the Vikings next hopeful franchise quarterback.
It looks like Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Norv Turner is the front-runner for the gig, and he was most likely the first guy Zimmer and the Vikings reached out to after sending the Browns an interview request yesterday. The request was accepted, and now the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Vikings are “hammering out” the contract details needed to sign Turner and both sides are reportedly optimistic that a deal will get done.
This means that Norv Turner is close to being hired by Zimmer as the Vikings next offensive coordinator, and he’s regarded as one of the best offensive coordinators in the league. He was a poor head coach, but he is a great play-caller who knows his stuff. The main question, however, is can he develop quarterbacks well enough for the Vikes? That could ultimately decide whether or not Turner is successful in Minnesota.