After finishing 19th in total offense for the second straight season, the Carolina Panthers decided to clean house on that side of the ball by firing Mike Shula and Ken Dorsey. And now, they're nearing a deal to make Norv Turner their next offseason coordinator, per ESPN's David Newton.
Along with Norv, the Panthers are reportedly hiring his son, Scott Turner, to become the next quarterbacks coach. Shula and Dorsey served as Carolina's offensive coordinator and QBs coach, respectively, from 2013 through this season.
Head coach Ron Rivera hopes the moves will help star quarterback Cam Newton as he continues to develop. In the two years since his MVP campaign in 2015, Newton has thrown just 41 touchdowns while tossing 30 interceptions.
From Newton:
“I came to the conclusion going forward the thing we needed to do was bring in a different perspective, different ideas in terms of going forward to what I believe is our ultimate goal, and that is winning a Super Bowl,” Rivera said after firing Shula and Dorsey.
“I think Cam's got room for improvement. There's room for growth, and he showed some growth this year and made some big steps.”
Rivera and Turner have a history together, so it's not surprising that Ron ultimately decided to give Norv the job. Rivera coached under Turner for four years with the San Diego Chargers, including three as their defensive coordinator before landing the head coaching gig in Carolina.
Scott Turner worked with Michigan's quarterbacks this past season, but from 2011 to 2012, he was the Panthers' quality control coach. He also served as the quarterbacks coach for the Minnesota Vikings from 2014 to 2016.
Norv and Scott will be the third and fourth members of the Turner family to join Carolina's staff. Norv's brother Ron is an offensive consultant, and his nephew Cameron is the assistant quarterbacks coach.
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