Getty Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh.
As the Las Vegas Raiders keep winning, it becomes increasingly likely that interim head coach Rich Bisaccia gets the permanent job. However, it also makes the job more appealing to possible candidates. One name who has been consistently linked to the job has been Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh.
Had the Raiders not beat the Los Angeles Chargers and got into the playoffs, it’s possible the coach would’ve already interviewed for the job. It’s unlikely that owner Mark Davis has made a firm decision yet with a Super Bowl still possible but there was something interesting that happened during the Raiders’ Sunday night game.
As the game was still being played, Washington Football Team offensive coordinator Scott Turner posted a photo of him at Allegiant Stadium with the words “Raiders Nation” on a screen in the background and simply said “#NewProfilePic.” He then quickly deleted the tweet and sent out a different picture of him in Washington Football Team gear.
Washington’s OC Scott Turner having some trouble with his new profile pic 👀👀
Now, it’s important to note that Washington did play the Raiders in Las Vegas earlier in the season so it’s possible that Turner simply liked the picture and didn’t realize what it was implying. That said, it is notable that he would delete it so quickly.
ALL the latest Raiders news straight to your inbox! Subscribe to the Heavy on Raiders newsletter here!
Turner Was a Harbaugh Assistant in 2017
Turner’s deleted tweet could be a huge nothing burger but the timing was really interesting. As noted earlier, Harbaugh has been linked to the Raiders opening. Turner was an offensive analyst for Michigan in 2017 under the coach. After one season in Ann Arbor, he went back to the NFL to coach quarterbacks for the Carolina Panthers before being hired as the offensive coordinator for Washington.
It is feasible to believe that Harbaugh would have eyes on Turner as his offensive coordinator in Las Vegas should he return to the NFL. Washington has the 24th ranked scoring offense in the league this year and they did it with a backup quarterback in Taylor Heinicke. Finishing that low in scoring isn’t that impressive but it’s possible he still has a lot of room to go. Washington is a defensive-minded team so Turner being under an offensive-minded coach in Harbaugh could lead to better results. Of course, this only matters if the Raiders make a head coaching change.
Turner Is Son of Former Raiders Head Coach
Interestingly enough, Turner already has ties to the Raiders. His father is Norv Turner, who was the head coach of the team from 2004 to 2005. In those two years, the Raiders went 9-23. Most fans likely don’t have fond memories of the Turner years but Davis loves hiring people with connections to the team.
Plus, the owner would let Harbaugh construct whatever kind of staff he wanted. Turner failed as a head coach but was always one of the better offensive minds in the NFL. Perhaps the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Harbaugh wants to run the ball and Washington did finish with the 12th best rushing offense in the NFL this season.
READ NEXT: Aaron Rodgers Sounds off on Relationship With Raiders’ Derek Carr