Turk Schonert Named Hartford Colonials Quarterbacks Coach
Published on April 14, 2011 under United Football League (UFL 1)
Hartford Colonials News Release
EAST HARTFORD, CT - April 14, 2011 - HARTFORD COLONIALS head coach and general manager JERRY GLANVILLE has added another assistant to his coaching staff with extensive experience in the National Football League, naming TURK SCHONERT the team's quarterbacks coach for the 2011 United Football League season
Schonert brings more than two decades of NFL experience to the Colonials. He was a quarterbacks coach for 12 years and an offensive coordinator for one season following a nine-year playing career (1981-89) as an NFL QB. He spent eight seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals over two stints, highlighted by trips to Super Bowls XVI and XXIII, and played one season (1986) for the Atlanta Falcons.
Schonert held the position of QB coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1992-95), Buffalo Bills (1998-2000), Carolina Panthers (2001), New York Giants (2003) and New Orleans Saints (2005). He returned to Buffalo as the QB coach for two seasons (2006-07) before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2008.
"Turk has experience, knowledge, and is a great teacher," Glanville said. "JIM HARBAUGH with the 49ers, JUNE JONES at SMU and Turk at Hartford are the best in football at coaching quarterbacks, and we're blessed to have Turk. Our quarterbacks will be better because he is here. He played for two of the best minds in offensive football - BILL WALSH and SAM WYCHE. How could it get any better."
Schonert played for Pro Football Hall of Fame coach BILL WALSH at Stanford and was a pupil of Las Vegas Locos head coach JIM FASSEL, the Cardinal QB coach in 1979. Schonert was also on Fassel's coaching staff with the Giants in 2003.
Schonert and former NFL coach SAM WYCHE were together for nearly a decade, first when Schonert played for Wyche's Bengals in the 1980s. They also worked together for four years in Tampa, reuniting after Wyche became Buccaneers head coach in 1992.
"Obviously I've been blessed to have great offensive minds around me, starting with BILL WALSH," Schonert said. "Being around them just opened your eyes on the quarterback position - how it should be played, the footwork, the timing. LINDY INFANTE was my first offensive coordinator in Cincinnati. He helped me a lot, just understanding different aspects of the pro game. All those guys have had some influence as to my philosophy and what I believe in."
Former Bills quarterback DOUG FLUTIE had his best NFL seasons with Schonert in Buffalo. In 1998, Flutie threw a career-high 20 touchdown passes and was a Pro Bowl selection in helping to guide the Bills to the first of two straight playoff appearances.
"Coming back from the CFL to the NFL, I was starting from scratch. I was very fortunate to have such an experienced QB coach as Turk," Flutie said. "He knows the game inside and out, sees the game from a QB's perspective and understands what is practical and what is chalk talk. He took me from clueless to what was going on in the NFL to a Pro Bowl in our first year."
Schonert joins TIM KRUMRIE (defensive line) and HAROLD JACKSON (wide receivers) as members of the Colonials coaching staff with at least 10 years of NFL coaching experience. The trio has a combined 37 years of NFL coaching experience, and collectively played in 468 games. Schonert and Krumrie were teammates in Cincinnati in the 1980s. Schonert and Jackson were on Wyche's coaching staff in Tampa.
Schonert, a native of Torrance, CA., completed 61.7 percent of his pass attempts and threw for 3,788 yards and 11 touchdowns in 72 NFL career games. He was 7-5 in 12 starts.
The UFL begins its third season in August as the Colonials play an eight-game schedule against teams from Las Vegas, Omaha, Sacramento and Virginia. The 2011 schedule will be announced in the coming weeks. Fans can register for tickets for the 2011 Colonials season at www.HartfordColonials.com.
United Football League Stories from April 14, 2011
- Turk Schonert Named Hartford Colonials Quarterbacks Coach - Hartford Colonials
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