Raiders tab Dolphins' Turner as head coach

By Don Banks, SI.com

Getty Images Raiders Head Coaches Regular-season record Name Years W-L-T Norv Turner 2004 -- Bill Callahan 2002-03 15-17-0 Jon Gruden 1998-2001 38-28-0 Joe Bugel 1997 4-12-0 Mike White 1995-96 15-17-0 Art Shell 1989-94 54-38-0 Mike Shanahan 1988-89 8-12-0 Tom Flores 1979-87 83-63-3 John Madden 1969-78 103-32-7 John Rauch 1966-68 33-8-1 Al Davis 1963-65 23-16-3 Red Conkright 1962 1-8-0 Marty Feldman 1961-62 2-15-0 Eddie Erdelatz 1960-61 6-10-0

HOUSTON -- The Oakland Raiders have hired Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Norv Turner as their head coach, an NFL source said Monday.

In getting his second NFL head coaching opportunity, Turner replaces the fired Bill Callahan, who struggled to a 4-12 finish this season after leading the Raiders to the Super Bowl in 2002. Turner received a five-year deal from Oakland, with the terms undisclosed.

Turner led the Washington Redskins from 1994-2000, going 50-60-1, with one playoff season during his tenure. He spent the past two years in Miami as the Dolphins offensive coordinator, after one year in the same role in San Diego (2001).

Turner spent most of the past four days in Oakland interviewing with Raiders owner Al Davis. He emerged as the front-runner for the job after Oakland's talks with Dallas assistant head coach Sean Payton fell through Thursday.

"I belong here," Turner told The Associated Press. "When I got off the plane the other night, I felt like I was coming home. I feel like I'm home now."

Turner marks just the second time in Davis' tenure with the Raiders that he has hired a head coach with previous NFL head coaching experience. The only other time it happened was 1997, when Joe Bugel replaced Mike White. Bugel lasted just one season and was replaced by Jon Gruden in 1998.

"I felt if I waited [to hire a coach], I couldn't do any better," Davis told AP. "I just thought it was the right fit. Everything that we need at this particular time, we will rely on Norv to help us with."

Turner, 51, made his reputation as the offensive coordinator for Dallas' back-to-back Super Bowl champions in 1992-93, serving under head coach Jimmy Johnson. While more experienced than most Raiders head coaching hires, he fits the profile of a Davis selection in another key way: He's an offensive-minded coach who is known for his strong track record with quarterbacks.

Dolphins running backs coach Joel Collier is reportedly the leading candidate to replace Turner as Miami's offensive coordinator.

Turner was fired by Redskins owner Daniel Snyder with three games to go in the 2000 season. That Washington team was celebrated for its almost $100 million player payroll -- an NFL first -- but it came nowhere near defending the NFC East title that the Redskins and Turner had won in 1999, when they went 10-6 and won a first-round playoff game.

Oakland's hiring of Turner made it the last NFL team to fill its head coaching vacancy. There were seven teams that changed head coaches this offseason: Chicago, Atlanta, Buffalo, Arizona, the Giants, and Washington were the others.