Head football coach Ron Turner brought Stanford offensive assistant coach Morgan Turner to Near Sweetwater as the assistant coach in charge of tight ends and offensive tackles.
Morgan Turner joins brother Cameron Turner, FIU's quarterbacks and wide receivers coach. Ron Turner, who'll serve as his own offensive coordinator, knows the younger Turners the same way. He knew their mother, Wendy Turner, first.
Wednesday, Turner explained the characteristics of those he wanted on his staff.
“What was most important to me, No. 1 good people,” Turner said. “Good people who are good teachers, good communicators know the game of football, but also care about individuals. If you’ve got guys who care about guys and they know that they care about them, they’re going to play hard. They’re going to want to please them.
“What was also important to me was getting people on the staff that I knew,” he continued. “Either, I know personally, worked with personally, know what kind of people they are. Or, they worked for or with someone that I’ve worked for or with and know personally and trust. Every guy on this staff that I’ve hired fits that bill.”
Too bad there's no chance of bringing in Ted Turner as Assistant Coach in Charge of Writing Really Fat Checks. Or, this Turner below...
Nepotism over talent?
Posted by: miacane86 | February 08, 2013 at 01:30 PM
How do the schools get around nepotism laws DJN??
Posted by: REALLY?? | February 08, 2013 at 01:41 PM
You know how they get around it? They hire qualified people! Turner isn't offering these kids their first jobs in this business. Get over it.
Posted by: pikedanny | February 08, 2013 at 01:51 PM
What position coach will Wendy hold? She's probably ten times better coach, definitely more professional, than all three freaking turners. pikedanny, brother your a loser if you think this is best for the football program.
Posted by: FIU Love | February 08, 2013 at 02:16 PM
"Loser", etc. What is with all these new "FIU" fans posting here continously negative comments about PG and the new coaching staff? And when they (he) don't agree with anyones's comment, they (he) resorts to personal attacks. Nepotism? Nepotism would be if they aren't qualified to coach.
Let me tell you a story of "nepotism", given your obtuse, narrow, and malicious definition. The coach at Western Kentucky, Jack Harbaugh, needed to fill his coaching staff and in that process hired 2 of his sons for his staff. Their names? Yes, the 2 coaches that just coached in the Super Bowl, John and Jim Harbaugh. Under your selective rule, Dad Jack couldn't have hired two future NFL star coaches at WKU, just because their last name was Harbaugh.
Posted by: FIU Fanatic | February 08, 2013 at 04:23 PM
Ok...First off, I am an FIU fan and have been since the beginning. Second, it was a general question! It was not an attack on FIU or the Turner family. I know that the state of Florida has nepotism laws just like MANY other states in the US. I was simply asking how schools get around those laws! Note I used the word "schools" not FIU. Relax- It was a general question!!! I brought it up because I know it has happened in the past and has recently been an issue with the NBA and its player association.
Posted by: REALLY?? | February 08, 2013 at 05:16 PM
Welcome to the real world chuckles, there's no such thing as a "nepotism law".
Sounds like Ron Turner's running every aspect of the offense, good idea to bring in coaches who are on the same page.
Posted by: Buc Nasty | February 08, 2013 at 07:51 PM
^^^^+1 buc nasty
I prefer head coach bringing coaches they feel comfortable with. It's all about winning for any head coach. Welcome to FIU Morgan!
Posted by: FIUJM | February 08, 2013 at 07:56 PM
@ Buc Nasty... There is actually is such thing as a "nepotism law" http://hr.fiu.edu/index.php?name=nepotism
Posted by: PitinoFan | February 08, 2013 at 09:16 PM
Either way... Basketball is doing great. Both teams are playing well and the Pitino hire has turned out to be a great one!! Hopefully we will be saying the same about the Turner hire...
Posted by: PitinoFan | February 08, 2013 at 09:18 PM
Quoting DJN: "If I wanted to embarrass these kids or, really, anyone in the athletic department, I could do that before my second bowl of cereal each morning."
Sounds like you have alot of respect for the kids, coaches, and administrators you cover, David. Why such disrespect? Where is this coming from? Didn't like the way Pete Garcia treated your boy? What is it? Is it just that you hate Pete Garcia? Have some courage and come clean.
If you don't like this beat, why don't you "volunteer" to cover UM instead? When Buc Nasty can't even defend your actions any longer, you've officially entered into clowndom, Cap't Crunch.
Posted by: SouthPaw | February 08, 2013 at 09:40 PM
SouthPaw,
I thought the same thing when I read that quote from DJN yesterday. Disgusting!
Posted by: Blue&GoldHeart | February 08, 2013 at 11:42 PM
Maybe the reason he doesn't is because he doesn't want to. Just a thought.
Posted by: Inaugural Golden Panther | February 09, 2013 at 12:09 AM
Your university policy's not a "law" that schools need to get around.
But it does seem Norv's brother is immune from the university policy.
Posted by: Buc Nasty | February 09, 2013 at 09:12 AM
Pete's brother and Mario's brother got sweet gigs in FIU Athletics. Maybe that nepotism rule didn't exist five years ago... Looked like fun to show up on game day and pull down a salary for it.
Posted by: Inaugural Golden Panther | February 09, 2013 at 10:33 AM
But it just seems that his sons are quality assistants. One was gunna eventually get a full pay at Stanford and the other was working in the NFL with game day stuff what more can you ask for when your head coach is already the coordinator, from an offensive point of view.
Posted by: FIU DP | February 09, 2013 at 10:34 AM
I love lamp.
Posted by: System_out_println | February 09, 2013 at 09:44 PM
DJN, just settle the debate for those of us on the forums, do you hate FIU? I believe it's the job of the media to be objective and report important stories--good or bad. There are others under the impression that any news not pertaining to awards, record-setting seasons, and packed houses equals hatred and that C word (it's CONSPIRACY for you dirty-minded fools).
So yes or no, do you hate FIU?
Posted by: HooterHater | February 10, 2013 at 08:37 AM
Oh my god, DJN doesn't hate FIU, stop it with the conspiracy BS already! How many conspiracies do we need to have on this board at one time? Herald conspiracy, Pete and Maury conspiracy? Enough already.
As for hiring sons as coaches, done everywhere. It isn't uncommon when one grows up in a coaching family.
Posted by: JulesFIU07 | February 10, 2013 at 01:53 PM
I'm not accusing DJN of hating FIU--read carefully before posting. I'm accusing David J Neal of having an axe to grind with people inside FIU, most likely inclusive of Pete Garcia. This taints the way he reports ANY news of FIU, good or bad. That is the mark of an unprofessional journalist, plain and simple.
DJN clearly wasn't happy when Pete Garcia unceremoniously fired Isiah Thomas, and he was also ostensibly unhappy with the way Mario Cristobal and staff were treated. Most likely, there are other events that have occurred that have equally irritated him. And those events and his feelings about them now color the way DJN reports on ANY FIU news. The single blog dedicated to the drug possession and gigantic mug shots of a backup FIU offensive lineman who hasn't played a single minute of meaningful football for FIU is just the latest example. That was news, granted, but it should not have been reported the way it was. It was unwarranted to report that in a single blog--it should have been mentioned along with other news of the day/week in another FIU update blog. Maybe if he was an all-conference lineman with a possible NFL future would you single him out and warrant a lone blog. Either way, the massive mug shots were inexcusable, and DNJ's excuse was that he was simply too lazy to size them down. I'm not buying it.
DJN is acting like a clown with his recent actions and comments and deserves to be censured.
Posted by: SouthPaw | February 10, 2013 at 02:30 PM
I follow this blog and I'm impartial as far as FIU goes.
DJ Neal speaks the truth with his negativity, you'd have to be a completely blinded homer to legitimately disagree with his opinions on FIU's lack of fan interest, the talent level of their football players, and his criticism of FIU for firing Mario Cristobal for Norv Turner's brother.
That said, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing to have a completely blinded homer covering FIU because that's what the fans who read this blog want to hear. I can see how fans would be annoyed at the "shots" DJ Neal consistently takes at FIU.
Posted by: Buc Nasty | February 10, 2013 at 03:16 PM
IMHO, DJN does not hate FIU! At the same time, he doesn't like them either. He is just someone that is fair.
You see difference is this, manny Navarro bleeds orange and green. We all just have to realize that whatever it is, DJN will report. I have a feeling if he were covering Gators, Canes, UCF or even FAU their fans would feel the same way.
Posted by: FIUJM | February 10, 2013 at 03:34 PM
I don't think DJN hates FIU at all...The Gainesville papers all reported on their player who got caught smoking weed. They do now and they did when Urban Meyer was coaching. We loved the blogging of former beat writer Pete Pelegrin because he was a homer! He bleeds FIU... it was great but that's not realistic to expect that from a beat writer. They need to report good or bad. I love DJN's commentary. He is a well respected journalist. BTW Pete Pelegrin now works at FIU...he also has a great blog on the school's site.
Posted by: PitinoFan | February 10, 2013 at 09:17 PM