Rutgers Adds Veteran Coach Jim Turner to Lead Offensive Line
In a move that brings decades of experience and a proven track record of developing NFL talent, Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano has named Jim Turner as the Scarlet Knights’ new offensive line coach. Turner, a Boston native with over 30 years in the coaching ranks, joins the program with a résumé that spans college football’s top conferences and the NFL.
“We’d like to welcome Jim and his family to Rutgers,” Schiano said. “He’s built a reputation for developing tough, physical offensive lines, and we’re excited about the impact he’ll have on our program.”
Turner’s coaching journey is nothing short of expansive, and it’s one that’s consistently delivered results in the trenches. His most notable collegiate work came during two separate stints at Texas A&M (2008-11, 2016-18), where he helped shape some of the most productive offensive lines in the country. In 2018, his unit paved the way for Trayveon Williams to lead the SEC in rushing with 1,760 yards and 18 touchdowns-numbers that don’t just happen without serious push up front.
That same Aggies offense was balanced and explosive. In both 2016 and 2017, the team surpassed 2,000 rushing yards and 3,000 passing yards.
The 2016 squad even climbed as high as No. 6 in the AP Poll, a testament to the offensive line's consistency and protection. Go back to 2011, and Turner’s line allowed just nine sacks over 537 pass attempts-an elite stat by any standard.
That year, the Aggies ranked top-25 nationally in every major offensive category, including seventh in total offense and 11th in scoring.
Turner’s work didn’t go unnoticed by NFL scouts. He played a key role in the development of three first-round offensive linemen: Luke Joeckel (No. 2 overall in 2013), Jake Matthews (No. 6 overall in 2014), and Cedric Ogbuehi (No. 21 overall in 2015). Beyond the first round, his fingerprints are on the careers of Jermaine Eluemunor, Jarvis Harrison, Patrick Lewis, and Ryan McCollum-all of whom made it to the league.
Most recently, Turner served as the interim head coach for the Memphis Showboats in the UFL, following a stint as their offensive line coach. He also spent time with the New Orleans Breakers, where he coached former Rutgers wide receiver and current staff member Isaiah Washington.
His return to the college game comes after a varied stretch that included a 2021 stop at Texas State. There, he helped guide Dalton Cooper and Kyle Hergel to All-Sun Belt honors-another example of his ability to elevate talent.
Turner also brings NFL experience to the table, having served as the offensive line coach for the Miami Dolphins (2012-13) and the Cincinnati Bengals (2019-20). During his time in Cincinnati, the Bengals’ run game showed noticeable improvement in the second half of the 2019 season, averaging over 130 rushing yards per game and boosting their yards per carry by more than a yard. In 2020, the line helped the offense to six 300-yard passing games while averaging 4.1 yards per rush.
Before his NFL stops, Turner’s coaching path touched nearly every level of the college game. He led the offensive line at Boston College in 2007-his alma mater-after stints at Delaware, Temple, Harvard, Louisiana Tech, and Northeastern. At Harvard, he also served as run game coordinator, helping to build one of the Ivy League’s more physical units at the time.
His coaching career began in Massachusetts at Braintree High School, and even included a stint overseas in 1989 as offensive coordinator for the Kent Rams, a British American football team. But perhaps the most unique chapter of Turner’s journey came before any of that-he served as an infantry officer in the U.S.
Marine Corps from 1990 to 1994, with deployments across Europe, the Middle East, and Japan. That military background has long been credited for shaping his no-nonsense, disciplined coaching style.
A former fullback and team captain at Boston College, Turner played in three bowl games (Cotton, Hall of Fame, and Liberty) and earned a degree in sociology in 1988. He and his wife, Patricia, have one son, Michael.
Now, Turner brings his hard-nosed, detail-oriented approach to a Rutgers program that’s looking to continue its climb in the Big Ten. With a history of producing NFL linemen and elevating offensive units, he’s more than just a veteran hire-he’s a foundational piece for what Schiano hopes to build in the trenches.