Scott Turner enters his ninth season coaching in the NFL and his first as Washington's offensive coordinator in 2020. He has held positions with the Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings during his NFL career.
Turner served as the Carolina Panthers quarterbacks coach from 2018-19, where he was also elevated to interim offensive coordinator for Weeks 14-17 of the 2019 season. In 2019, Turner spent time working with three different quarterbacks throughout the course of the season after Cam Newton was injured in Week 2. Carolina was only one of six teams in the NFL to start three different quarterbacks during the 2019 season. Turner helped guide young quarterbacks Kyle Allen and rookie Will Grier and played a key role in installing plays to fit each of their playing styles when he took the reigns as interim offensive coordinator in Week 14. Allen completed 303-of-489 passes for 3,027 yards and 17 touchdowns for a passer rating of 80.0. Grier got an opportunity to start late in the season in Weeks 15 and 16. In his first career start on the road against the Colts, Grier completed 27-of-44 passes for 224 yards, completing 61.4 percent of his attempts.
In his first season as quarterbacks coach in 2018, Turner helped quarterback Cam Newton post a 67.9 completion percentage -- the highest of any player in franchise history -- despite playing through injury and missing the final two games. Newton set a franchise record by throwing for at least two touchdown passes in 11 consecutive games, while his 94.2 passer rating was third-best in franchise history. Newton also set a Panthers record for most consecutive passes completed with 16 straight over a two-game stretch.
In 2018, the Panthers finished 10th in the NFL in net yards (373.3), the second-highest season average in franchise history. Carolina finished the season with a franchise record for most completions in a single season with 378 and set a franchise record for most passing first downs in a single season with 212. In the final two games of 2018, Turner was tasked with preparing backup quarterbacks Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen to play in Newton's absence. In Week 16 at Atlanta, Allen and Heinicke combined to set a franchise record for most completions in a single game with 37 (33 - Heinicke; 4 - Allen). In Week 17, Allen joined Matt Moore and Chris Weinke as the only Panthers rookies to win their first starts.
Prior to rejoining Carolina, Turner served as the University of Michigan's senior offensive analyst in 2017. The Wolverines went 8-5 and advanced to the Outback Bowl, while the offense featured three running backs who averaged five yards per carry or better and rushed for more than 2,000 yards for the third consecutive season.
Before his time with Michigan, Turner worked as the Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks coach from 2014-16. In 2016, Turner helped quarterback Sam Bradford set a then-NFL record in completion percentage (71.6) and guided him to Vikings records in single-season completions (395), interception percentage (0.9; five in 552 attempts) and single-season completion percentage (71.6). Bradford notched the fourth-highest passer rating in Vikings history with a career-best 99.3.
In 2014 and 2015, Turner worked with first-round draft choice Teddy Bridgewater. In 2015, Bridgewater was selected to his first Pro Bowl in his second season in the NFL and his first as a full-time starter. Bridgewater, who led the team to its first NFC North championship since 2009, bumped his passer rating up from 85.2 to 88.7 and threw three fewer interceptions while playing in three more contests than his initial season. He finished with 3,231 yards passing and 14 passing touchdowns, while rushing for three touchdowns. With 17 combined wins from 2014 and 2015, Bridgewater tied Brett Favre and Warren Moon for the most wins in team history among quarterbacks in their first two seasons with the franchise.
In 2014, Turner helped Bridgewater to the best season for a rookie quarterback in Vikings history, setting virtually every franchise rookie passing record and producing the third-best completion percentage (64.6) and the seventh-highest passer rating (85.2) in NFL history for a rookie. In Bridgewater's first career start vs. Atlanta in Week 4, the rookie threw for a season-best 317 yards and helped the offense pile up 558 net yards, the fourth-most in team history, in a 41-28 win.
In 2013, Turner coached wide receivers for the Cleveland Browns, helping Josh Gordon record the best receiving season in Browns history. Despite appearing in just 14 games, he became the first player in Browns history to lead the NFL in receiving yards (1,646) and became the first player in NFL history with back-to-back 200-yard receiving games.
Turner entered NFL coaching with two seasons as offensive quality control coach for the Panthers in 2011 and 2012. The Panthers recorded two of the top four seasons in franchise history in terms of net yards, setting the all-time mark with 389.8 yards per game in 2011 and 360.7 in 2012. Newton was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2011. His 14 rushing touchdowns broke the NFL record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback and were just one shy of the NFL record of rushing touchdowns by a rookie.
Prior to Turner's first stint in Carolina, he spent three seasons at the University of Pittsburgh, two as an offensive assistant and the last as wide receivers coach. Turner made his coaching debut in 2005 as a graduate assistant at Oregon State before serving as the offensive coordinator at South County (Va.) Secondary School from 2006-07.
A three-year letterman at Nevada-Las Vegas from 2002-04, Turner graduated with a degree in psychology. He served as a reserve quarterback for the Rebels as a junior and senior and played on special teams as a sophomore after being redshirted as a freshman. He earned his college degree in psychology from UNLV in 2006.
2020: Offensive Coordinator, Washington Football Team
2018-19: Quarterbacks Coach/Interim Offensive Coordinator (Wks: 14-17), Carolina Panthers
2017: Offensive Analyst, University of Michigan
2014-16: Quarterbacks Coach, Minnesota Vikings
2013: Wide Receivers Coach, Cleveland Browns
2011-12: Offensive Quality Control, Carolina Panthers
2008-10: Offensive Assistant, University of Pittsburgh
2005: Graduate Assistant, Oregon State University
2002-04: Quarterback, UNLV
