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 on Saturday with the couple's two daughters, Cally and Madison, who live in Chicago, watching Morgan's Stanford team lose to Northwestern. 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.