FIU Tabs Ron Turner As New Coach

Ron Turner

Former San Jose St. and Illinois head coach Ron Turner, who most recently served as quarterbacks coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will be the new head football coach for the FIU Panthers.

Turner will replace Mario Cristobal, who was let go in December, after the Panthers went 3-9 in 2011.

Cristobal coach FIU for six seasons, accumulating an overall record of 27-47, including consecutive bowl berths in 2010 and 2011.

Turner went 7-4 at San Jose St. in 1992, before departing for the NFL, where he spent four seasons with the Chicago Bears as the quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator.

In 1997, Turner was named the head coach at Illinois, where he compiled an overall record of 35-57, over eight years, including two bowl berths.

His best season was 2001, when he guided the Fighting Illini to a 10-2 record, and a spot in the Sugar Bowl.

Turner returned to the Bears in 2005, before moving to the Colts in 2010, and then the Buccaneers, where he served as quarterbackas coach, in 2012.

Turner, who is the brother of former Washington Redskins, Oakland Raiders, and San Diego Chargers head coach Norv Turner, becomes the third head coach in FIU history, following Don Strock, and Cristobal.