Chargers hire Turner; Bears, Rivera part ways

SAN DIEGO -- Norv Turner got his third shot at an NFL head coaching job when he was hired Monday by the San Diego Chargers, a week after the surprise firing of Marty Schottenheimer.

The hiring came less than 24 hours after the Chargers wrapped up their interviews. The Chargers also hired Ted Cottrell as defensive coordinator.

Turner, the San Francisco 49ers' offensive coordinator, was the only one of the six candidates who's been an NFL head coach, and the only one from the offensive side of the ball.

He inherits a team that was an NFL-best 14-2 last season but melted down in its playoff opener, a stunning 24-21 loss to the New England Patriots.

Last Monday, the Chargers again surprised the NFL when president Dean Spanos fired Schottenheimer, citing a "dysfunctional situation" between the coach and general manager A.J. Smith.

Turner had trouble winning in the regular season, going 58-82-1 in head coaching stints with Washington and Oakland. Schottenheimer had trouble winning in the postseason, going 5-13 overall and 0-2 with the Chargers.

Turner was San Diego's offensive coordinator in 2001, when LaDainian Tomlinson was a rookie and Smith was the assistant to the late John Butler.

The Chargers still use the same offense Turner installed.

Turner was fired by the Raiders in 2005 after going 9-23 in two seasons.

Turner will be able to help with the continued development of quarterback Philip Rivers, who was voted to the Pro Bowl but saw his play tail off down the stretch. Tomlinson was the league[[OpenSingle]]s MVP after setting NFL records with 31 touchdowns and 186 points.

Turner was one of the masterminds behind the Dallas offenses led by Hall of Famers Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin and NFL career rushing leader Emmitt Smith, winning two Super Bowl titles in three seasons as Dallas' offense coordinator.

He had been the apparent front-runner to replace Bill Parcells in Dallas earlier this month before that job went to Wade Phillips, who had been the Chargers' defensive coordinator.

Bears let Rivera walk

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago defensive coordinator Ron Rivera has gone from head coaching candidate to out of a job -- a little more than two weeks after Bears were in the Super Bowl.

Rivera, who has talked with eight different NFL teams about their head coaching positions over the last two seasons, had a three-year contract with the Bears that was set to expire next week. The NFC champions announced Monday he will not be back.

Head coach Lovie Smith had been pushing Rivera for head coaching jobs, now he's pushed him off his staff.

"It's just something that coach decided he was going to shuffle his staff and we'll go from there," Rivera said during a conference call.

Rivera said he wanted to return and was told a few days ago he wouldn't.

Was there a personality conflict with Smith?

"No, no, no, no, please. I don't think there is. I really don't," he said.

"I believe this is just a football decision and it was made. Emotionally, I'm disappointed in not getting the opportunity to come back in '07 because as I said at the end of the year after the loss that this is a football team that's headed in the right direction."

Smith, a defensive-oriented coach, insisted there no philosophical differences with Rivera.

Rivera was a linebacker on Chicago's Super Bowl champion team in 1986 and then led a defense that helped the Bears make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. Chicago had trouble containing Indianapolis in the Super Bowl, losing 29-17 to the Peyton Manning-led Indianapolis Colts.

Rivera has been an assistant coach for 10 years in the NFL beginning as a quality control coach with the Bears in 1997. He spent five years with the Philadelphia Eagles as their linebackers coach and then the last three in charge of Chicago's defense.

The Bears led the NFL with 44 takeaways in the regular season, but the defense was slowed in the latter stages of the season after injuries to defensive tackle Tommie Harris and safety Mike Brown.

Smith did not elaborate when asked if there were things about Rivera's performance he did not like.

• In another coaching move, the Bears hired Luke Butkus as their assistant offensive line coach Monday.

He is the nephew of Dick Butkus, the Bears' former Hall of Fame middle linebacker.

-- From wire reports