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SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -- Norv Turner, fired as coach of the Oakland Raiders two weeks ago, moved across San Francisco Bay to become the 49ers' offensive coordinator on Tuesday.
Coach Mike Nolan hired his former boss with the Washington Redskins to replace Mike McCarthy, named the Green Bay Packers' head coach last week after one terrible season with the Niners.
urner, who also coached the Redskins for nearly seven years, was fired by the Raiders after just two losing seasons. But the Bay Area native still is considered one of the NFL's top offensive minds, with a career highlighted by his work as the Dallas Cowboys' offensive coordinator during two Super Bowl-winning seasons.
Nolan was Turner's defensive coordinator in Washington from 1997-99, and Turner was high on his list of candidates to replace McCarthy.
Turner went 49-59-1 with just one playoff berth in Washington before getting fired with three games left in the 2000 season. He took charge of the Raiders in January 2004 but won just nine games, leading to his dismissal by owner Al Davis.
Turner will take over for McCarthy, who presided over one of the worst offensive seasons in NFL history in Nolan's first year in San Francisco. The Niners (4-12) managed just 3,587 total yards -- the fewest in the league, the franchise's lowest total since 1963 and the fifth-fewest since the NFL began playing 16-game schedules in 1978.
With a talent-thin roster and four starting quarterbacks, including No. 1 draft pick Alex Smith, the Niners averaged fewer than 15 points. Smith didn't throw his first touchdown pass until the season finale -- after 11 interceptions and seven starts. San Francisco finished with franchise lows in offensive touchdowns (17), first downs (191) and yards passing (1,898).
Turner isn't a strict disciple of the West Coast system established in San Francisco by Bill Walsh and revived by McCarthy last season, but Nolan expects the 49ers to keep much of the same terminology used by McCarthy to minimize confusion for his young players.
Turner is the fourth offensive coordinator in four seasons for the 49ers, following Greg Knapp (2003), Ted Tollner (2004) and McCarthy.
Si.com
