Dennis Lee Thurman (born April 13, 1956) is an American football coach and former player.
As a junior in 1976, Thurman was named the starter at free safety, leading the team and the Pacific-8 Conference with eight interceptions.
Thurman played on Trojan teams that won four bowl games (two Roses, a Liberty and a Bluebonnet).
"[2] Thurman was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 11th round (306th overall) of the 1978 NFL draft, after dropping because he was considered too small and slow to play professional football.
[3] As a rookie, he also played on special teams, recovering an onside kick in Super Bowl XIII.
He had 37 tackles, one fumble recovery, one interception in the regular season and one in the divisional playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams.
In the season opener against the Washington Redskins, he returned an interception 96 yards for a touchdown, which was the second longest in club history.
In the fifteenth game against the Philadelphia Eagles, he tied a franchise record with 3 interceptions in a single-game, helping to clinch the NFC East championship.
During the 1985 season quarterback Danny White nicknamed Thurman along with fellow safety Michael Downs and cornerbacks Walls, Ron Fellows, "Thurman's Thieves", for their opportunistic play in the secondary, as they combined for 33 total interceptions.
He returned an interception 21 yards for a touchdown in the season opener against the Washington Redskins, contributing to a 44–14 win.
Thurman never missed a game during his 137-game career and finished with 36 interceptions, which he returned for 562 yards and four touchdowns, while also recovering seven fumbles.
He coached from 1993 to 2000 for his alma mater, the USC Trojans where he mentored future NFLers Chris Cash, Kris Richard, Daylon McCutcheon, Brian Kelly and Troy Polamalu.
[11] Thurman's defense was sixth in the league in his final season in New York, allowing 327.2 yards per game.
On January 15, 2015, Thurman was hired by new head coach Rex Ryan to serve as the defensive coordinator.
In October 2018, Thurman was named defensive coordinator for the Memphis Express of the Alliance of American Football (AAF).
[14] On January 19, 2024, the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warrior football team announced that Thurman was hired as defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach.