ALAMEDA, Calif. — Norv Turner was hired as the Oakland Raiders' coach Monday, taking over a team that went from the Super Bowl to 4-12 in just a year.
Turner, who grew up in nearby Martinez, Calif., as an avid Raiders fan, replaces Bill Callahan, fired last Dec. 31 after two tumultuous seasons.
"I belong here," said Turner, the Miami Dolphins' offensive coordinator the past two seasons. "When I got off the plane the other night, I felt like I was coming home. I feel like I'm home now."
Turner spent nearly seven seasons as the Washington Redskins' coach, leading them to a 49-59-1 record and just one playoff berth from 1994-00 before being fired with three games left in his final campaign.
"I just thought it was the right fit," said Davis, who wore a black suit and shirt with a shiny silver tie to the news conference announcing Turner's hiring. "Everything that we need at this particular time, we will rely on Norv to help us with."
Davis also praised Turner's "pride, poise and class. He has represented that his entire career."
Oakland is the last of seven NFL teams to fill its head coaching vacancy, leaving New England assistants Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis without a chance to get a head job while the Patriots prepare for the Super Bowl.
The Raiders interviewed at least six coaching candidates during the past few weeks. They apparently came close to hiring Dallas assistant Sean Payton last week, but he stayed with the Cowboys.
Turner didn't get an interview until talks with Payton ended, and Davis hinted last week he might want to interview Crennel or Weis. But Turner apparently impressed Davis enough last Friday to persuade the 74-year-old owner to depart from his usual preference for hiring first-time head coaches.
Of the Raiders' previous eight coaches dating to Madden's first season in 1969, only one — Joe Bugel, who lasted just one season in 1997 — had previous head coaching experience.
Turner inherits a messy situation in Oakland: The Raiders' defense of their AFC championship was a disaster almost from the first exhibition game, with injuries to more than a dozen key players and a near-mutiny against Callahan. Cornerback Charles Woodson openly criticized the coach, and MVP quarterback Rich Gannon later said a major housecleaning was necessary.
DOLPHINS REPLACE TURNER: The Miami Dolphins moved quickly to find Norv Turner's replacement Monday.
Hours after Turner left the team to become Oakland's new coach, the Dolphins turned over the playbook to Joel Collier, their running backs coach for the past six seasons.
The Dolphins also announced the hiring of former Oakland offensive coordinator Marc Trestman as quarterbacks and assistant head coach, and Jerry Sullivan as the team's new wide receivers coach.
Collier has been with the Dolphins for 10 seasons, the first four as a defensive assistant. He was convinced by coach Dave Wannstedt last year to stay in Miami, turning down an opportunity at the time to join former Dolphins assistant Mike Shula's new staff at Alabama.
"I think success is in the details," Collier said. "I hope whatever we do as an offensive staff, that shows up as time goes on. I don't want to leave too many things to chance."
Miami ranked 24th in the NFL in total offense last season and was one of only seven teams that failed to convert at least one-third of their third-down situations. Quarterback Jay Fiedler finished the season with a career-worst 72.4 rating; he ranked 28th in the league among those that threw 100 or more passes in 2003.
Trestman's coaching career started as a volunteer assistant at the University of Miami while attending law school there in 1982; a year later he was hired as quarterbacks coach and the Hurricanes won the national championship.
Miami is the seventh NFL coaching stop for Trestman, who has previously been offensive coordinator for Arizona, Cleveland and San Francisco. He also had assistant coaching stints with Detroit, Minnesota and Tampa Bay.
"It's good to be back," Trestman said.
GIANTS HIRE FOUR: Tom Coughlin added another former Jacksonville assistant to his New York Giants coaching staff Monday, hiring Kevin Gilbride as quarterbacks coach.
Pat Flaherty, a former Rutgers assistant, was added as offensive line coach, Dave DeGuglielmo was hired as an assistant offensive line/quality control coach and David Merritt as defensive assistant/quality control coach.
Gilbride spent the past two seasons as Buffalo's offensive coordinator. He has 14 years of NFL coaching experience, 11 as an offensive coordinator and two as a head coach at San Diego. He was Coughlin's offensive coordinator with the Jaguars for their first two seasons.
BILLS ADD RECEIVERS COACH: The Buffalo Bills hired Tyke Tolbert as receivers coach on Monday.
Tolbert spent last season coaching receivers for the Arizona Cardinals, his first NFL job after nine seasons at the college level.
Tolbert replaces former University of Utah assistant Fred Graves, who was hired by Cleveland last week.
JETS HIRE HENDERSON: Donnie Henderson was hired Monday as the New York Jets' defensive coordinator, ending a long search. Henderson, secondary coach for the Baltimore Ravens since 1999, replaces Ted Cottrell, fired after the Jets' 6-10 regular season.