Norv Turner Net Worth

What is Norv Turner's Net Worth and Salary?

Norv Turner is an American professional football coach who has a net worth of $12 million. Norv Turner played a central role in the Dallas Cowboys dynasty of the early 1990s, designing an offense that helped Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin dominate on their way to back-to-back Super Bowl titles. Turner parlayed that success into multiple head coaching opportunities with the Washington Redskins, Oakland Raiders, and San Diego Chargers. While his head coaching record was inconsistent, his reputation as a quarterback tutor and offensive strategist remained strong throughout his three decades in the league. From his ability to maximize Hall of Fame talent to his struggles managing entire rosters, Turner embodied the classic divide between coordinators and head coaches — brilliant in one role, middling in the other.

Early Life

Norval Eugene Turner was born in 1952 in North Carolina and grew up in Southern California. He starred as a quarterback at Alhambra High School before earning a scholarship to the University of Oregon, where he played behind future Hall of Famer Dan Fouts. Though Turner never made it to the NFL as a player, he quickly found his calling as a coach. He began as a graduate assistant at Oregon, later joining USC's staff, where he worked under John Robinson and helped groom several future NFL quarterbacks.

Dallas Cowboys Dynasty

Turner got his NFL break in 1985 as wide receivers coach of the Los Angeles Rams. In 1991, Jimmy Johnson hired him as offensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys, a move that changed the trajectory of his career. Tasked with developing quarterback Troy Aikman and modernizing the Cowboys' offense, Turner installed a timing-based passing game that perfectly complemented running back Emmitt Smith and wideout Michael Irvin. The result was a powerhouse offense that won Super Bowl XXVII in 1992 and repeated in 1993.

Aikman thrived under Turner's system, earning a Super Bowl MVP and cementing his reputation as a precision passer. The Cowboys became the NFL's gold standard, and Turner's success made him one of the league's hottest coaching candidates.

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Head Coaching Stints

In 1994, Turner was hired as head coach of the Washington Redskins. Expectations were sky-high, but the results rarely matched. In seven seasons, he posted a 49–59–1 record and made the playoffs just once, in 1999. He was fired late in the 2000 season despite Washington still being in playoff contention, a move that reflected frustration with the team's inconsistency.

Turner resurfaced with the Oakland Raiders in 2004, inheriting a roster in decline following their 2002 Super Bowl run. He went 9–23 over two seasons before being dismissed.

His final head coaching opportunity came in 2007 with the San Diego Chargers. That year, he inherited one of the most talented rosters in football, led by Philip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Antonio Gates. The Chargers advanced to the AFC Championship Game in Turner's first season, but despite consistent playoff berths, the team never reached the Super Bowl. Turner was let go after the 2012 season with a 59–43 record in San Diego.

Return to Coordinator Roles

Following his head coaching career, Turner returned to the role that made him famous: offensive coordinator. He served with the Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns, and Carolina Panthers, often brought in to stabilize quarterback play. He worked with Teddy Bridgewater in Minnesota and helped Cam Newton adapt in Carolina, though neither stint brought major team success.

Turner retired from full-time coaching after the 2018 season, closing the book on a career that spanned more than 30 years in the NFL.

Contracts, Salaries & Career Earnings

Turner's success in Dallas made him a coveted head coaching hire, and his first major contract with Washington paid him roughly $1 million per season — top-tier money for the mid-1990s. His later deal with San Diego was even more lucrative, reportedly worth around $18 million over five years, or about $3.5 million annually, placing him among the higher-paid coaches of that era.

As an offensive coordinator, Turner commanded salaries between $1–2 million per season, reflecting his standing as one of the most experienced and respected offensive minds in football. Taken together, across nearly three decades in the NFL, his total career earnings are estimated in the $25–35 million range.

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