Former Chattanooga offensive line coach John Turner joined the South Alabama coaching staff in March 2008, and is in his third year working with interior offensive linemen.
In the program’s first-ever season, Turner’s unit played a key role in helping the Jaguars average better than 45 points and nearly 440 yards per outing. The offensive line cleared the way for USA running backs to record an average of more than six yards per carry, while the passing game accounted for over 170 yards per contest as the group surrendered just seven sacks in seven games. Five Jag linemen recorded five knockdown blocks per game or more, including two — Jon Griffin and Chris Brunson — who paced the group with 55 and 53 pancakes, respectively.
A native of Fort Meade, Fla., Turner served as offensive line coach at UTC beginning in 2003 and was promoted to assistant head coach following the 2005 season. His line units surrended less than a sack per game on average over his last three years and he produced a trio of all-Southern Conference selections — tackle Josh Shinpaugh in 2005, guard Justin Matherson in 2006 and center Garrett Windham in ’07.
Turner went to UTC after one season at Western Carolina. He has also had collegiate coaching stops at Clemson as a graduate assistant for Tommy Bowden in 2001 and at Auburn in 1997 and ’98, when he was offensive line and special teams assistant under Terry Bowden. AU won the SEC West and defeated Clemson in the Peach Bowl his first year with the program, while Clemson went 7-5 and defeated Louisiana Tech 49-24 in the Humanitarian Bowl in his lone season with the program. CU spent eight weeks in the national rankings, with the highlight of its season a 47-44 overtime victory at then-No. 9 Georgia Tech.
A 1988 graduate of Jacksonville State with a degree in physical education, Turner was a standout offensive lineman for the Gamecocks in 1986 and 1987. JSU finished 5-4-1 in each of his two seasons as a letterwinner.
He began his coaching career immediately as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, working with a team that reached the NCAA Division II quarterfinals. The Gamecocks ended that season 10-2 overall, and they went 7-1 in Gulf South Conference play to tie for the league champinship — JSU would defeat West Chester 63-24 for the school’s first postseason victory in six years.
Turner also has ties to the high school ranks in the state, coaching at Daleville High School (1989-93), Dothan High School (1994-96) and UMS-Wright Prep (1999-00). In just his second season on the staff, Daleville High advanced to the second round of the state 4A playoffs before falling 27-21 in double overtime to the eventual runner-up. After a two-point loss in the second round to the same school the following fall — this time, the opposition would go on to earn the title — his DHS team won the state championship in 1992 and advanced to the state finals in 1993.
Dothan HS advanced to the state 6A playoffs in his final year on the staff as well, while his efforts helped UMS-Wright win a pair of postseason contests to make the quarterfinals of the 4A bracket in each of his two seasons with the school.
Turner has coaching in his heritage as his father, Blaine, is a retired head coach in the Florida high school ranks, while his brother Brian is also on the USA staff. Their sister, Kristin, is a former Pro Bowl cheerleader for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
While at Auburn, Turner earned his master’s degree in physical education in 1998. He and his wife Kim have one son, Walker Wilson (3).
The Turner File
Born: Oct. 8, 1966, in Tampa, Fla.
Education:
Jacksonville State ’88, bachelor’s degree in physical education
Auburn ’98, master’s degree in physical education
Collegiate Playing Experience:
Two years, offensive lineman, Marion Military Institute
Two years, offensive lineman, Jacksonville State
Coaching Experience:
Jacksonville State — graduate assistant, 1988
Daleville [Ala.] HS — assistant coach, 1989-93
Dothan [Ala.] HS — assistant coach, 1994-96
Auburn — graduate assistant, 1997-98
UMS-Wright [Ala.] HS — assistant coach, 1999-00
Clemson — graduate assistant, 2001
Western Carolina — assistant coach, 2002
Chattanooga — assistant coach, 2003-07
South Alabama — assistant coach, 2008-
Family: Wife, Kim; One son, Walker Wilson (3)
