Jim Turner begins his first season as the offensive line coach at Texas State after coaching the past two years in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals.
In his first season, the Bengals had an improved rushing attack during the last half of the season when they averaged 130.1 yards and increased the yards per rush by 1.26 yards per carry. In 2020, they averaged 4.1 yards per rush and had six 300-yard passing games.
Entering his 28th season overall as a coach, Turner went to Cincinnati after serving as the offensive line coach at Texas A&M from 2016-18. He worked under head coaches Kevin Sumlin in 2016-17 and Jimbo Fisher in 2018.
In 2018, his offensive line helped Trayveon Williams lead the SEC in rushing yards (1760), rushing TDs (18), and total TDs (19). From 2016-17, the offensive line led offenses that gained more than 2000 rushing yards while also passing for 3000-plus yards.
From 2012-13, Turner served as offensive line coach for the Miami Dolphins. In 2012, Miami finished eighth in the AFC in rushing yards per game.
In his first stint at Texas A&M, his offensive line helped the Aggies develop into one of the SEC’s top offenses. In 2011, the Aggies allowed just nine sacks on 537 pass attempts and ranked in the top 25 nationally in total offense (seventh), scoring offense (11th), passing offense (18th), and rushing offense (24th). From 2009-11, the Aggies ranked among the nation’s top 25 teams in total offense, averaging more than 440 yards per game each season.
The 2009 unit ranked No. 5 nationally at 465.8 yards per game, and the 2011 squad ranked seventh at 490.2. Turner developed several offensive linemen who would go on to play in the NFL, including first-round picks Luke Joeckel, Jake Matthews, and Cedric Ogbuehi.
Turner spent the 2007 season coaching the offensive line at his alma mater, Boston College, after two seasons (2005-06) at Delaware. In 2006, Turner was assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator.
He also coached at Temple as the offensive line coach in 2003-04 after serving as the offensive line and run game coordinator at Harvard in 2000-02.
Turner spent one season as the offensive line coach at Louisiana Tech in 1999 after serving on the staff at Northeastern from 1994-98. He coached the offensive line and tight ends coach in 1994-95, running backs and special teams in 1996, and the defensive line and special teams in 1997-98.
A Boston native, Turner was a four-year letterman as a fullback under Jack Bicknell at Boston College. He served as team captain in his senior season and played in three bowl games at BC — Cotton, Hall of Fame, and Liberty — during his career.
After earning his bachelor’s degree in sociology in 1988, Turner began his coaching career at his alma mater, Braintree High School. He spent the 1989 season in London, England as the offensive coordinator for the Kent Rams — a British American football team. He also served as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps from 1990-94 in Europe, the Middle East, and Japan.
Turner and his wife, Patricia, have a son, Michael.
