Vikings offensive coach Norv Turner quits; no friction, says Zimmer
Updated 12:53 p.m. | Posted 10:02 a.m.
In a stunning announcement Wednesday, the Minnesota Vikings said offensive coordinator Norv Turner has resigned.
Turner, 64, a former NFL head coach, initially won accolades as the Vikings offensive coordinator last year and at the start of this season after the team was forced to bring in Sam Bradford as quarterback following the pre-season injury to Teddy Bridgewater.
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It's not clear what drove the decision, but after a 5-0 start, the team's offense has been dismal the past two games as the Vikings' offensive line struggled to protect Bradford from swarming defenses.
"I obviously didn't see this coming. I was in here yesterday talking to him. I didn't really think anything was different," Bradford said.
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer called Turner his "right hand man" and told reporters later in the morning he was "very, very surprised" by the resignation and that he wasn't planning to make any coaching changes despite the past two games.
"Norv is a very, very good friend of mine. He's helped me tremendously in the three years that I've been here. He's had an unbelievable career."
Turner released a statement through the Vikings, stating his "tremendous respect" for Zimmer, the staff and the players and his desire to see them succeed.
"At this time I think it's in the best interest of the team to step down," said Turner, who told ESPN his decision stemmed from differing views with Zimmer about the offensive strategy.
Turner approached Zimmer at Vikings headquarters about 6:30 a.m. They had a long conversation about a variety of subjects.
"I told him my feelings for him and how much that I respect him and the things that he's done and the things that he's continued to do and how hard he was trying to get it going. He was pretty set in his ideas and his reasons, and I hope that we'll always continue to be friends," Zimmer said.
Tight ends coach Pat Shurmur will serve as interim offensive coordinator, the team said.
This was Turner's 33rd season coaching in the NFL. He had 15 seasons as a head coach. As offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, he helped the team win Super Bowl XXVII. He was in his third year as offensive coordinator for the Vikings.
On the NFL's website, writer Conor Orr wrote:
Speculation will likely run rampant in Winter Park this week. Was it a coincidence after the team's second-worst offensive output of the season? Was it a reflection of the scheme not covering for a deficient offensive line? Was it a nod to Shurmur, who has more experience with Bradford? Was Turner simply tired of the grind?
NFL Network's Mike Garafolo noted Wednesday that a potential resignation has been rumbling for some time.
The initial plan was for Turner to say one season in the new stadium, though its ultimately unclear why the decision was made in the middle of arguably the most important year in recent franchise history.