Cincy on the Prowl
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Cincinnati Football: UC Hires Former Dolphins OL Coach Jim Turner To Coach Running Backs

By Chris Bains

Nov 20, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats running back Mike Boone (5) runs with the ball during the first quarter against the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 20, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats running back Mike Boone (5) runs with the ball during the first quarter against the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cincinnati Bearcats have hired former Miami Dolphins offensive line coach Jim Turner to coach UC’s running backs, according to ESPN.

"Jim Turner, who was fired as offensive line coach by the Miami Dolphins two years ago following an investigation into a bullying scandal involving the team’s offensive linemen, has been hired as an assistant coach with the Cincinnati Bearcats, according to multiple reports."

Just call us the the Cincinnati Ex-Phins, right?

Earlier this week it was announced that Tommy Tuberville had hired Miami’s interim offensive coordinator Zac Taylor to fulfill the same role at UC, including coaching quarterbacks. Taylor then promptly went out and snagged J.B. Grimes from Auburn to coach the Bearcats’ offensive line, ousting Darren Hiller, and has rounded out his offensive staff with the addition of former Dolphins coach Jim Turner.

This guy’s literally been all over the place in his career and in life. His coaching career started at Braintree High School in Massachusetts before he set off to become the offensive coordinator of Kent Rams in London, England. He then embarked on a four-year stint with the US Marine Corps in Europe, the Middle East, and Japan.

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Turner returned to the states and the coaching ranks in 1994, landing at Northeastern University in Boston. He popped around the offense, defense, and special teams for a few years, learning the tricks of the trade before making the leap to offensive line coach at Louisiana Tech. He spent three years with Harvard, helping lead them to an undefeated record, an Ivy League championship, and breaking 17 school records in the process. After that he steadily made his way up the ranks, with a stop at Temple, Delaware, Boston College, Texas A&M, and eventually the Miami Dolphins.

And he’s bringing all of that experience and knowledge to the Bearcats. From a recruiting standpoint, it’s unclear if he’ll replace what Eddie Gran brought to the table. Turner spent several years in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, so he’s bound to have several connections in that region. However, the Northeast in particular isn’t well-known for generating a boatload of D1 football talent. However, given this regime’s track record for uncovering diamonds in the rough, Turner might be exactly the coach they need.