Turner Pays the Price for Mediocrity

Another missed kick, and Washington Redskin Coach Norv Turner got the boot.

Turner’s job had hung by a thread almost from the day owner Daniel M. Snyder gained control of the team last year. But he improbably survived until Monday morning, when Snyder fired him and named assistant coach Terry Robiskie interim replacement after kicker Eddie Murray’s missed field goal in the final minute Sunday left the Redskins, the highest-paid team in NFL history, in danger of missing the playoffs.

When Murray missed from 49 yards out with 50 seconds left, the Redskins lost to the New York Giants, 9-7, and fell to 7-6.

“We [Snyder and his advisors] went back and forth all night long,” said Snyder, who had his secretary summon Robiskie to Redskin Park at 12:30 a.m. “This was not a planned-out event.”

Snyder told Turner of his firing Monday morning, having reached agreement with Robiskie at 2:30 a.m.

“This was not something that was discussed weeks ago or days ago with Coach Robiskie,” Snyder said. “This was not something on the agenda.”

Turner, after almost seven seasons as coach, made a brief but emotional appearance shortly before noon Monday, making a point of praising late owner Jack Kent Cooke and some of the players he has coached while wistfully commenting on the narrow margin between winning and losing.

“I think this team can still be 10-6,” said Turner, whose Redskin teams were 49-59-1, but only 8-21-1 in games decided by three points or less. “Part of me wants to be a part of it and part of me understands why it’s important to make a change right now.”

Turner took no questions, but when asked as he walked to his car if he would talk about the vacant job at USC, where he once coached under John Robinson, he said only, “I don’t know about USC.”

Asked if USC or intermediaries had contacted him, Turner said, “No.”

Though Turner has strong ties to USC--his wife, Nancy, was Robinson’s secretary when the couple met--his closest links are to the two coaches fired by Athletic Director Mike Garrett, Robinson and Paul Hackett.

Hackett and Turner became close when they worked together as assistants. During training camp, Turner had talked with conviction about how he believed his friend was over the hump at USC.

His ties to Robinson go back even further, to the days Robinson recruited him to Oregon as a player, later hiring him as an assistant at USC and with the Rams.

Turner earlier had told friends he would like to remain in the NFL, and though he did not rule out a college job, his relationship with Hackett makes him aware of possible pitfalls at USC, from facilities to administration and budget issues.

Turner’s pulling away from the parking place marked “Reserved--Coach Turner,” was only part of a wild day at Redskin Park. The news release on his firing was followed by a release naming Pat Flaherty, who had been coaching the tight ends, coach of special teams, the first indication that LeCharls McDaniel, the special teams coach, also had been fired.

The next announcement was of the hiring of Pepper Rodgers, the former Kansas, UCLA and Georgia Tech coach, as vice president of football operations--a move that turned out not to indicate that Vinny Cerrato, director of player personnel, was being undermined but rather that Rodgers will serve as an advisor to Snyder and will play a major role in the selection of the next coach.

Rodgers, previously active in the bid to bring an NFL team to Memphis, met Snyder through associations with FedEx, the title sponsor for FedEx Field.

Amid all the movement, the surprising news was that Murray, Washington’s fourth field-goal kicker of the season, had not yet lost his job.

“We haven’t thought about it yet,” said Robiskie, a former Raider player and assistant coach who had been the Redskins’ passing-game coordinator and receiver coach.

In one of his first moves, however, Robiskie chose Snyder favorite Jeff George to start at quarterback Sunday against Dallas, though he hesitated to say George would start ahead of Brad Johnson the rest of the season.

If Turner was painted as the ultimate nice guy, Robiskie is portrayed as the rabid motivator.

“Terry has no problem calling guys out, I promise you that,” said cornerback Deion Sanders, one of the high-profile free agents whose signings spurred expectations that the Redskins could reach the Super Bowl. “But like I said, players win games and players lose games. I wish players would come out and say, ‘OK, it’s not Norv’s fault I got my butt kicked.’ ”

Until Monday, Robiskie’s highest-profile moment of the season was a sideline shouting match with receiver Albert Connell, caught by television cameras.

“He might bring a little bit of fire,” Connell said. “He’s a great motivator.”

That’s what Snyder zeroed in on, mentioning Robiskie’s Saturday night pep talks.

“The vibration that always comes out, very simply put, is that Terry is the motivator,” Snyder said. “There’s tremendous horsepower in leadership.”

Robiskie was chosen after Ray Rhodes--the Redskins’ defensive coordinator and former Philadelphia and Green Bay coach who had been Turner’s presumed replacement--indicated to Snyder he wanted to continue as defensive coordinator, out of the limelight. Rhodes was not formally offered the job.

“We never even got to that point,” Snyder said.

Monday’s moves cemented Snyder’s reputation for firing employees, a trend that began when he dismissed a number low-level office employees early in his regime.

But if anything, Turner’s firing had been expected much sooner.

“We knew since Snyder got here, if things weren’t going right, he’d be fired,” Connell said.

Robiskie’s first public words as coach were an apology.

“Obviously our record being what it is has me standing here before you, and I was a part of that,” he said. “And in apologizing, I’d also like to say I do believe sometimes change is necessary. Sometimes a change is for the best.

“Like Mr. Snyder said, our season is a long ways from over.”

Still, this collection of all-stars will play only three more games if they don’t reach the playoffs.

“We can’t point the finger at other players, coaches,” defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield said. “It’s not the secretaries.”

Beyond the next three games, there are no guarantees.

“No, I’m not sure I’m safe at all,” Robiskie said. “I do have a contract through the end of the year, and, hopefully, it will last.”

Robiskie isn’t worried about more money right now.

“Raise? I haven’t [asked] yet. But if you print it, maybe it will work.”

Rodgers hadn’t thought about a contract either.

“I have not signed anything,” he said. “I better make sure I get something. Things can change fast.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Turner, Over

Norv Turner’s record as Redskin coach:

1994: 3-13

1995: 6-10

1996: 9-7

1997: 8-7-1

1998: 6-10

1999*: 10-6

2000: 7-6

Total: 49-59-1

* postseason appearance

(1-1 record)

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

A Downward Spiral

After starting the season 6-2, the Redskins’ fortunes changed in their last five games. A comparison:

*--*

Record Points F/A Rush/Pass Yds T/O Ratio 6-2 18.6-14.3 125.0/281.3 +4 1-4 19.2-19.0 93.9/247.8 -1

*--*

Researched by Roy Jurgens

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