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UCI hires veteran NBA assistant coach to lead the Anteaters
Russell Turner replaces Pat Douglass, who was fired last month.
BY Steve ChurmPublished: April 09, 2010 01:05 PM
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n a bold move, UC Irvine has named veteran NBA Assistant Coach Russell Turner as head coach of the university's men's basketball team, signaling a major commitment to elevate the Anteater program into a powerful player in the Big West Conference.
Turner, an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors for the past six seasons, replaces longtime Anteater Head Coach Pat Douglass, who was fired last month after a 14-18 season and failing to reach the NCAA tournament. He served 13 seasons as head coach. Despite some winning years, the Anteaters have never reached the tournament, a reality that led UCI Athletic Director Mike Izzi to release Douglass and launch a nationwide search for a replacement.
Turner and Izzi have ties going back to Stanford University, where Turner was part of the men's coaching staff and Izzi was a senior-level executive in the athletic department.
As a member of Coach Don Nelson's staff at Golden State, Turner handled numerous responsibilities including assisting with game planning, analyzing opponent tendencies and individual player skill development. In addition to his pro experience and his time at Stanford, Turner also coached as an assistant at Wake Forest University.
“Russell’s body of work makes him a superb choice for our program,” Izzi says. “He has worked in successful programs, gaining valuable knowledge from Hall-of-Fame caliber coaches and has thrived in academic settings. He has had the opportunity to work closely with many (of the) NBA’s top players and to help develop outstanding collegiate competitors. Our players will benefit greatly from his experience."
Turner agreed to a five-year contract with an annual base salary of $205,000. He becomes the seventh head coach in the 45-year history of the Anteater men’s basketball program.
“I am honored and extremely excited to be chosen to lead the men’s basketball program at UCI,” Turner says. “In many ways this is a dream job for me because of the culture of excellence within this university. I am eager to get to work with my team and to earn the respect of the Irvine community, and I will approach all of the important aspects of this job with great enthusiasm.
"I have tremendous respect for the coach I am following, Pat Douglass, and I am hoping to form strong relationships with the many impressive people who are a part of this program’s past as we build for the future of our team,” he finishes.
Turner also served as a coach for the Warriors’ summer-league entry in Las Vegas for the past five seasons. He has been an active participant in the NBA’s international outreach camps, including Basketball without Borders, representing the league in Turkey, China and Lithuania. BWB is a program that uses basketball to create positive social change in education, health and wellness.
Turner was a member of Mike Montgomery’s Stanford University staff from 2000-2004, when the Cardinal had a combined overall record of 105-24 (.814), including 59-13 (.819) in Pac-10 play. Stanford won Pac-10 regular-season titles in 2001 and 2004, was ranked No. 1 in the polls both seasons and advanced to the NCAA tournament each of Turner’s four years, including the West Regional final in 2001.
Turner, who was a runner-up for NCAA Division III Player of the Year in 1992, was inducted into Hampden-Sydney College’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002. He graduated magna cum laude in 1992 with a bachelor's in English and economics, and earned numerous academic honors, including election into Phi Beta Kappa.
Turner is a native of Roanoke,Va. He and his wife, Elizabeth, a physician, have two children, Devlin and Darius.
Photo credits: Rocky Widner
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In a bold move, UC Irvine has named veteran NBA Assistant Coach Russell Turner as head coach of the university's men's basketball team, signaling a major commitment to elevate the Anteater program into a powerful player in the Big West Conference. Turner, an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors for the past six seasons, replaces longtime Anteater Head Coach Pat Douglass, who was fired last month after a 14-18 season and failing to reach the NCAA tournament. He served 13 seasons as head coach. Despite some winning years, the Anteaters have never reached the tournament, a reality that led UCI Athletic Director Mike Izzi to release Douglass and launch a nationwide search for a replacement. Turner and Izzi have ties going back to Stanford University, where Turner was part of the men's coaching staff and Izzi was a senior-level executive in the athletic department. As a member of Coach Don Nelson's staff at Golden State, Turner handled numerous responsibilities including assisting with game planning, analyzing opponent tendencies and individual player skill development. In addition to his pro experience and his time at Stanford, Turner also coached as an assistant at Wake Forest University.“Russell’s body of work makes him a superb choice for our program,” Izzi says. “He has worked in successful programs, gaining valuable knowledge from Hall-of-Fame caliber coaches and has thrived in academic settings. He has had the opportunity to work closely with many (of the) NBA’s top players and to help develop outstanding collegiate competitors. Our players will benefit greatly from his experience." Turner agreed to a five-year contract with an annual base salary of $205,000. He becomes the seventh head coach in the 45-year history of the Anteater men’s basketball program. “I am honored and extremely excited to be chosen to lead the men’s basketball program at UCI,” Turner says. “In many ways this is a dream job for me because of the culture of excellence within this university. I am eager to get to work with my team and to earn the respect of the Irvine community, and I will approach all of the important aspects of this job with great enthusiasm. "I have tremendous respect for the coach I am following, Pat Douglass, and I am hoping to form strong relationships with the many impressive people who are a part of this program’s past as we build for the future of our team,” he finishes. Turner also served as a coach for the Warriors’ summer-league entry in Las Vegas for the past five seasons. He has been an active participant in the NBA’s international outreach camps, including Basketball without Borders, representing the league in Turkey, China and Lithuania. BWB is a program that uses basketball to create positive social change in education, health and wellness. Turner was a member of Mike Montgomery’s Stanford University staff from 2000-2004, when the Cardinal had a combined overall record of 105-24 (.814), including 59-13 (.819) in Pac-10 play. Stanford won Pac-10 regular-season titles in 2001 and 2004, was ranked No. 1 in the polls both seasons and advanced to the NCAA tournament each of Turner’s four years, including the West Regional final in 2001. Turner, who was a runner-up for NCAA Division III Player of the Year in 1992, was inducted into Hampden-Sydney College’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002. He graduated magna cum laude in 1992 with a bachelor's in English and economics, and earned numerous academic honors, including election into Phi Beta Kappa. Turner is a native of Roanoke,Va. He and his wife, Elizabeth, a physician, have two children, Devlin and Darius. Photo credits: Rocky Widner Related headlines Angels remember Nick Adenhart OC METRO, April issue: 'A new season' OC METRO, Web exclusive: The voyage of the Broken Compass |
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