Turner could be gone

[adam]

From FoxSports:

 

Although he won't say it officially, Bears coach Lovie Smith is leaning toward dumping offensive coordinator Ron Turner.

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7597496

 

 

YES!!!!!

 

 

 

Step #1 - Fire Ron Turner - CHECK!

[Pixote]

I am all for firing Turner (my guess is IF Lovie decided to do so it will me masked as Turner wanting to leave for (?????) reasons, fill in the excuse, but Lovie will try and allow Turner to "save face" and depart. HOWEVER, I do not want us to do so UNLESS they are able to get a highly qualified OC to replace him.

 

DBDB brought this idea up before, Mike Mularkey, currently the TE coach for MIA, as a possible candidate for the job. I agree. Anyone else have an opinion of who you would like to see replace Turner if he left?

 

Here is his bio from the MIA site:

 

Mike Mularkey begins his second season as a member of the Dolphins coaching staff in 2007. He owns and impressive NFL résumé, and is one of several members of the offensive staff with experience as a coordinator or head coach in the NFL. Before joining the Dolphins in 2006, Mularkey had spent the previous two seasons (2004-05) as head coach with the Buffalo Bills.

 

In Mularkey’s two years in Buffalo, the team posted a composite record of 14-18, including a 9-7 mark in his first season there as the Bills reeled off wins in nine of their final 12 games.

 

Prior to taking over the helm with the Bills, Mularkey spent the previous eight seasons (1996-2003) on the staff of the Pittsburgh Steelers, including the final three as offensive coordinator. Under Mularkey’s guidance, Pittsburgh finished third and fifth, respectively, in the NFL in total offense in his first two years in the post, and led the league in rushing offense (173.4 ypg) in 2001. Also that year, quarterback Kordell Stewart threw for 3,109 yards and was selected to the AFC Pro Bowl squad. The Steelers went 13-3 in 2001, captured the AFC Central Division title and played in the AFC Championship game. In 2002, Mularkey oversaw the resurgence of quarterback Tommy Maddox, who, after having not played in the NFL from 1996-2000, completed 234 of 377 passes for 2,836 yards with 20 touchdowns and 16 interceptions and was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Maddox’s 62.1 percent completion mark that year was a franchise single-season record at the time.

 

Prior to being elevated to offensive coordinator, Mularkey spent his first five years in Pittsburgh as the team’s tight ends coach. During that time, he oversaw the development of Mark Bruener, who was regarded as one of the premier run-blocking tight ends over this stretch. In Mularkey’s five years as the Steelers’ tight ends coach, Jerome Bettis shattered the 1,000-yard rushing plateau each time and the Steelers as a team placed in the top ten in the NFL in rushing offense every year, including a No. 2 finish in 1996 and a No. 1 ranking in 1997.

 

Mularkey got his start in the NFL coaching ranks as a quality control coach with Tampa Bay in 1994. He was promoted to tight ends coach with the Bucs the following year, and in his lone season in that post, tight end Jackie Harris caught a team-high 62 passes for 751 yards, one of only three tight ends in that teams’ history to top the club’s receiving chart.

 

Mularkey was a ninth-round draft choice of the San Francisco 49ers in 1983. He was picked up off waivers by Minnesota in training camp that year and went on to play the next six seasons with the Vikings. He joined Pittsburgh as a Plan B free agent in 1989 and played three years with the Steelers. His career totals consist of 114 games played, during which time he tallied 102 receptions for 1,222 yards and nine touchdowns. He had his most productive season in 1990 when he caught 32 passes for 365 yards and three touchdowns. Following his playing career, he served as offensive line coach at Concordia College in 1993.

 

A Florida native, Mularkey lettered three years at the University of Florida (1980-82). Prior to that, he attended Northeast High School in Ft. Lauderdale, where he played quarterback. He and his wife, Betsy, have two sons, Patrick and Shane.

[Mongo3451]

I am all for firing Turner (my guess is IF Lovie decided to do so it will me masked as Turner wanting to leave for (?????) reasons, fill in the excuse, but Lovie will try and allow Turner to "save face" and depart. HOWEVER, I do not want us to do so UNLESS they are able to get a highly qualified OC to replace him.

 

DBDB brought this idea up before, Mike Mularkey, currently the TE coach for MIA, as a possible candidate for the job. I agree. Anyone else have an opinion of who you would like to see replace Turner if he left?

 

Here is his bio from the MIA site:

 

Mike Mularkey begins his second season as a member of the Dolphins coaching staff in 2007. He owns and impressive NFL résumé, and is one of several members of the offensive staff with experience as a coordinator or head coach in the NFL. Before joining the Dolphins in 2006, Mularkey had spent the previous two seasons (2004-05) as head coach with the Buffalo Bills.

 

In Mularkey’s two years in Buffalo, the team posted a composite record of 14-18, including a 9-7 mark in his first season there as the Bills reeled off wins in nine of their final 12 games.

 

Prior to taking over the helm with the Bills, Mularkey spent the previous eight seasons (1996-2003) on the staff of the Pittsburgh Steelers, including the final three as offensive coordinator. Under Mularkey’s guidance, Pittsburgh finished third and fifth, respectively, in the NFL in total offense in his first two years in the post, and led the league in rushing offense (173.4 ypg) in 2001. Also that year, quarterback Kordell Stewart threw for 3,109 yards and was selected to the AFC Pro Bowl squad. The Steelers went 13-3 in 2001, captured the AFC Central Division title and played in the AFC Championship game. In 2002, Mularkey oversaw the resurgence of quarterback Tommy Maddox, who, after having not played in the NFL from 1996-2000, completed 234 of 377 passes for 2,836 yards with 20 touchdowns and 16 interceptions and was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Maddox’s 62.1 percent completion mark that year was a franchise single-season record at the time.

 

Prior to being elevated to offensive coordinator, Mularkey spent his first five years in Pittsburgh as the team’s tight ends coach. During that time, he oversaw the development of Mark Bruener, who was regarded as one of the premier run-blocking tight ends over this stretch. In Mularkey’s five years as the Steelers’ tight ends coach, Jerome Bettis shattered the 1,000-yard rushing plateau each time and the Steelers as a team placed in the top ten in the NFL in rushing offense every year, including a No. 2 finish in 1996 and a No. 1 ranking in 1997.

 

Mularkey got his start in the NFL coaching ranks as a quality control coach with Tampa Bay in 1994. He was promoted to tight ends coach with the Bucs the following year, and in his lone season in that post, tight end Jackie Harris caught a team-high 62 passes for 751 yards, one of only three tight ends in that teams’ history to top the club’s receiving chart.

 

Mularkey was a ninth-round draft choice of the San Francisco 49ers in 1983. He was picked up off waivers by Minnesota in training camp that year and went on to play the next six seasons with the Vikings. He joined Pittsburgh as a Plan B free agent in 1989 and played three years with the Steelers. His career totals consist of 114 games played, during which time he tallied 102 receptions for 1,222 yards and nine touchdowns. He had his most productive season in 1990 when he caught 32 passes for 365 yards and three touchdowns. Following his playing career, he served as offensive line coach at Concordia College in 1993.

 

A Florida native, Mularkey lettered three years at the University of Florida (1980-82). Prior to that, he attended Northeast High School in Ft. Lauderdale, where he played quarterback. He and his wife, Betsy, have two sons, Patrick and Shane.

 

 

I'm all for a coordinator of his caliber. At all cost and ASAP.

[DrunkBomber]

Well being that he is currently a TE coach he more then likely be able to bring Greg Olsen to the next level and you would have to assume he would use the TEs a lot more than Turner.

[Pixote]

I was thinking the exact same thing when reading his Bio, Olsen would definitely benefit.

 

More importantly, he was a very successful OC for an offense in PIT that has the same type of philosophy as the Bears and had to cope with similar climatic challenges.

 

There may be others more qualified. However, I am at a loss to come up with a list so I was hoping some of you might know of possible candidates. I definitely think Mularkey would be an upgrade.

[BearSox]

His second season in Buffalo was far less successful. Dogged by a quarterback controversy between J.P. Losman and Kelly Holcomb and a series of defensive personnel problems, Mularkey led the team to a 5–11 finish and a sixth consecutive year out of the playoffs - the longest such active streak in the AFC. Mularkey's offensive schemes continued to be touted by then general manager Tom Donahoe, despite the lack of production; Mularkey's schemes proved to be predictable, and the Bills finished 28th in total offense.

[Pixote]

OUCH - His success as HC does not concern me. I do not want a new HC YET but am concerned about OC. However, I did not know of this claim by Donahoe.

 

Just as Lovie is responsible for the philosophy of our Defense BUT the DC is responsible in implementation, in most cases where a HC is of Offense orientation, he is responsible for the general philosophy of the "O" but the actual play calling and implementation is the responsibility of the OC.

 

So my question would be was Mularkey calling the plays for the Bills the year they were 28th in the league and considered predictable? I would assume when he was OC of PIT this was not a problem considering his record.

 

The last thing I would want is to replace an OC who has shown to be predictable and unable to make needed game-time adjustments with a clone.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

I was thinking the exact same thing when reading his Bio, Olsen would definitely benefit.

 

More importantly, he was a very successful OC for an offense in PIT that has the same type of philosophy as the Bears and had to cope with similar climatic challenges.

 

There may be others more qualified. However, I am at a loss to come up with a list so I was hoping some of you might know of possible candidates. I definitely think Mularkey would be an upgrade.

Plus when you think about some of the things he did well, he was able to take advantage of his players strengths. For god sakes he was able to put an offense around Kordell that allowed him to make a probowl (I think we all remember what Stewart was like in Chicago, LOL). He than built systems around Antwaan Randle El that made him quite the special weapon as well as used Hines Ward in a lot of creative plays.

 

I'd love to see what sort of creativy he could do for guys like Olsen (who is too fast for a LB and too big for a CB) and Hester (who is Antwaan Randle El on steroids). Plus I think my favorite thing is he's a guy who has had success with various set-ups on offense (mobile QB like Stewart...more pocket passer like Tommy Maddox).

 

The other thing that shouldn't go unnoticed is the fact that in all of these offenses there was one other constant theme and that was a team that ran the living shit out of the ball.

 

God I'd love to have Mike Mularckey here. Tony Sporado is my first choice, Murlackey number two, and I would settle for Fassell (who I happen to think is an exceptional OC, mediocre head coach but the man knows his offense).

[chitownman]

All I know is that it is damn time that Turner get his ass kicked to the wayside. I do not know why he has digressed so much however, it was a mistake to hire him after Illinois fired him. Mularkey would be an interesting hire to maybe right this ship and I as well do not know too many OC candidates out there that will definitely improve this team. We'll see what happens after December 30th and hope that changes are made and that JA does not override any decision on this.

[Da Bears 88]

I'd like to see someone that could get Olsen involved more.

[AZ54]

More good news. There was one play this game that made me think Turner has improved and that was the TD play where we brought a TE in motion and he stopped in the backfield leaving a TE, FB, RB behind the QB then we play action fake and pass to Clark in the back corner of the endzone. Then it made me wonder where that play was in the first quarter when we had first and goal and went 4 and out.

 

It's time for a new OC.

[Iguana]

From FoxSports:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7597496

YES!!!!!

 

 

 

Step #1 - Fire Ron Turner - CHECK!

 

i really hope that's true.

[ostrogoth]

i really hope that's true.

Turner is an easy scapegoat, just like every offensive coordinator in Chicago has been for the last ten years. It doesn't speak well for Smith that he would be hiring his third coordinator in five years.

[ChileBear]

Turner is an easy scapegoat, just like every offensive coordinator in Chicago has been for the last ten years. It doesn't speak well for Smith that he would be hiring his third coordinator in five years.

 

I think it would speak worse of Lovie if hecontinued to rely on Turner. Kind of like continuing to bang your head on the wall when you know it only hurts YOU!

[adam]

Turner is an easy scapegoat, just like every offensive coordinator in Chicago has been for the last ten years. It doesn't speak well for Smith that he would be hiring his third coordinator in five years.

Has Turner ever been good? I think it comes down to bad evaluations. These guys never should've had the job in the first place.

[ostrogoth]

I think it would speak worse of Lovie if hecontinued to rely on Turner. Kind of like continuing to bang your head on the wall when you know it only hurts YOU!

In 1995, with Erik Kramer at QB, the Bears set a team record for passing yards per game with 233.9 while compiling the fourth-most points in team history with 392. Kramer set club records with 29 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions (least among 16-game starters) while standing as the last Chicago passer to start all 16 games. The 1995 squad produced the third-most total net yards (5,673) and the second-most first downs (340) in team history. The offense also featured a 1,000-yard rusher and two 1,000-yard receivers in 1995, the only such season in team history.

 

Uhh Yeah, He has been good but it's been a while. I'm not defending him necessarily but...

[Iguana]

Turner is an easy scapegoat, just like every offensive coordinator in Chicago has been for the last ten years. It doesn't speak well for Smith that he would be hiring his third coordinator in five years.

 

Keeping would be just like Jauron keeping Shoop.

[ostrogoth]

Keeping would be just like Jauron keeping Shoop.

 

Looks like there are many in favor of his departure based on this: http://www.fireronturner.org/

[Pixote]

In his first stint as OC of the Bears I thought he did a fairly good job and when they brought him back I thought it was a good move.

 

I am not totally convinced he is as bad as many have expressed. I do feel however that a change needs to be made.

 

BUT !!!!!!!!!

 

I do not want to make a change for change sake, I only want a change of OC IF we are certain to get a QUALIFIED EXPERIENCED PROVEN OC!!

[BearSox]

I want the best young offensive mind out of college, whoever he may be, to be our OC

[Pixote]

I am not sure I want a college guru. I want an experienced NFL OC coordinator, not someone who will learn on the job. No more Crowtons.