One night early in Ron Turner's first season at Florida International, a 1-11 disaster marred by 15 players being ruled academically ineligible, he opened his desk drawer _ and his mind to leaving town.
"I literally pulled out my contract and looked to see if I had an out clause with all the off-the-field issues, and I didn't," recalled Turner, a former Bears offensive coordinator and Illinois coach. "I'd come home and vent, and my wife (Wendy) would be like, 'Stay the course, you're here for a reason, just keep going.' I knew that, but she kept saying it so I did. And I'm glad I did because right now I love this team."
The feeling was mutual as FIU players doused Turner with Gatorade on Thursday after one of college football's most surprising Week 1 wins. Turner enhanced his impressive coaching resume by leaving another blot on counterpart George O'Leary's in the Golden Panthers' 15-14 victory at Central Florida, a two-touchdown favorite.
A blocked field goal late in the game preserved the FIU comeback and punctuated what Wendy Turner had known about her husband since he returned to campus in 2013.
"My wife always told me, 'I knew you'd get back in college because the happiest I've seen you as a coach was your eight years at Illinois,' " said Turner, 61.
Turner's trajectory at FIU mirrors the course he took at Illinois, where a bowl berth in his third year followed tough 0-11 and 3-8 seasons. From the moment Turner saw seven scholarship offensive linemen at his first spring practice at FIU, he noticed similarities.
"The difference was we had more character issues here than we ever had at Illinois," said Turner, who went 1-11 in 2013 and 4-8 last year. "The thing was a mess, for lack of a better term. The guys who are seniors now adjusted and did everything we've asked them to change the culture."
The jobs change, but Turner doesn't. At his 13th stop in 35 years of coaching, Turner remains as steady as he is smart, a grinder who values substance over style, and college football benefited when he followed his heart back to it.
"People always ask me, 'Which do you like better, college or pro?' " said Turner, a Bears assistant from 1993 to '96 and 2005 to '09, plus stints with the Colts and Buccaneers. "I always say the one I'm in. There are advantages to both. The NFL, you're dealing with the elite. That's exciting. In college, you have more impact on their lives."
Turner's success had an impact on his sons' career choices; Cameron is an assistant wide receivers coach for the Panthers and Morgan a tight ends coach for Stanford.
Wendy Turner was in Evanston, Ill., with the couple's two daughters, Cally and Madison, who live in Chicago, watching Morgan's Stanford team lose to Northwestern on Sept. 5.
Local ties still connect Turner, who follows the Bears and keeps track of the Illini enough to have texted Bill Cubit congratulations Sunday.
"We're from California originally, but we almost consider Chicago our home," Turner said. "We love it there ... but it's not too bad down here."
Things indeed look brighter every day at FIU, thanks to Turner as much as the South Florida sunshine.
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Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald interrupted a jog to explain that wearing shorts during the Wildcats' impressive win over Stanford wasn't an ode to the 1976 edition of his beloved White Sox. It was predicated on practicality.
"When it's cold, you wear cold gear; when it rains, you wear rain gear; and when it's hot, (associate equipment director) Curtis Shaner was like, 'Why don't you wear shorts?' " said Fitzgerald, a potential trendsetter. "I talked it over with (NU's administration) and loved it."
More significantly, Fitzgerald's defense played freer and faster, tackling better than any Northwestern team in memory. An experienced Cardinal offense managed 240 yards and six points against a team more physical and prepared. It helped that no player on Northwestern's defensive line, which dominated, played more than five straight snaps.
"That might be the best we ever tackled because we worked the heck out of it," Fitzgerald said. "You have to work tackling every single day."
Next comes Eastern Illinois, but after beating a ranked opponent on national TV, Northwestern's toughest foe threatens to become overconfidence. Perhaps Fitzgerald fears the same based on the best thing he could have said during Monday's news conference: "I'm done with potential. I want to see production."
Only a 4-0 pre-Big Ten record will assuage those concerns.
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Good for Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly expressing displeasure with the burnt orange obvious in his home stadium during a 38-3 rout of Texas.
Conservatively, about 10,000 Longhorns fans dressed for the occasion _ almost 15 percent.
Asked postgame if that bothered him, Kelly was candid _ but careful to praise Notre Dame students decked in green.
"A little bit, quite honestly," he said.
Kelly should be bugged.
Too many Notre Dame fans apparently embrace their loyalty until a program that travels well such as Texas, Oklahoma or Nebraska comes to town looking for tickets.
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