Norv Turner Reportedly Expected to Be Named Panthers OC After Mike Shula Firing

The Carolina Panthers are reportedly "finalizing" a deal to make Norv Turner their next offensive coordinator after Mike Shula was fired, ESPN.com's David Newton reported on Wednesday.

Newton added Norv's son, Scott, will join head coach Ron Rivera's staff as the new quarterbacks coach following Ken Dorsey's ouster. 

The move would be a logical one for Rivera considering he served as Turner's linebackers coach and then his defensive coordinator with the San Diego Chargers from 2007-2010 before accepting the Panthers' head coaching job. 

The Chargers fired Turner following the 2012 season, and he proceeded to sign on as the Cleveland Browns' offensive coordinator. That partnership lasted one season before Turner accepted the same job with the Minnesota Vikings. 

The 65-year-old held down that post for just over two seasons, but he left the team midway through the 2016 campaign because of philosophical disagreements with head coach Mike Zimmer. 

"To be honest, there were just different opinions on what we need to do, and where the focus is," Turner told The MMQB's Albert Breer at the time. "I have a lot of respect for Zim, he’s a heck of a coach. It just wasn’t going to work."

Now headed back to the sidelines, Turner will be tasked with overhauling a Panthers offense that was stagnant for prolonged stretches in 2017. 

All told, Carolina finished the year ranked 28th in passing (192.3 yards per game) and tied for 25th with just five passing plays of at least 40 yards. To put that number in perspective, the Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens all produced the same number of 40-plus-yard pass plays. 

But with Cam Newton, Christian McCaffrey, Devin Funchess, Curtis Samuel and Greg Olsen all in tow, Turner has the pieces at his disposal to quickly transform the Panthers offense back into an explosive one that can shred opponents with a variety of vertical passing concepts.