Kentucky hires new assistant basketball coach

K.T. Turner joins Kentucky men’s basketball coaching team as new assistant

LEXINGTON, Ky. – (British isles Athletics) – K.T. Turner, who has been a mainstay in the faculty basketball coaching profession for almost 20 years, will sign up for the Kentucky men’s basketball personnel as its newest assistant coach in 2022-23.

“I knew that when we experienced an opening, K.T. Turner would be our subsequent guy I’d be contacting on,” British isles head coach John Calipari mentioned. “I’ve been pretty impressed with K.T. for as very long as I’ve recognised him. He is from Cincinnati, his father worked for Tony Yates, and he even now has ties to the location. He’s an founded mentor and a person who has a passion for enhancement. He loves spending time in the gym doing work with young children and helping them go on to push for enhancement. K.T. has performed an outstanding career of recruiting Texas, which has constantly been good to us, and has a fantastic ability to join with youthful individuals. He is exactly the coach we were being wanting for and I’m thrilled to have him be part of our spouse and children.”

Turner arrives to Lexington after spending one particular season with Oklahoma as an associate head mentor under Porter Moser in his initial calendar year as head coach. The Sooners went 19-16 and superior to the 2nd round of the Nationwide Invitation Match.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to perform at the College of Kentucky,” Turner reported. “I’ve always preferred to operate less than John Calipari and be a part of his system. He has been on the forefront of higher education basketball for a extended time. My loved ones is extremely thankful for the possibility to live in the condition of Kentucky and be a element of the Lexington neighborhood. There is function to be finished and the staff members that I am signing up for is ready to get this done. We know the mission is to get range 9.”

Prior to his end in Norman, Oklahoma, Turner was the associate head mentor at Texas in 2020-21. The Longhorns amassed a 19-8 over-all mark, gained the Large 12 Championship and earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Turner was instrumental in the development of Kai Jones, who was named the Huge 12 Sixth Gentleman of the 12 months. The Longhorns led the Large 12 in discipline-purpose percentage protection (40.8%), 3-level field-goal proportion defense (31.7%), rebounding (38.4 for every recreation) and defensive rebounds for every recreation (27.6).

Turner invested 7 seasons as an assistant at SMU prior to joining Texas. The Mustangs accrued a 160-71 record, received a pair of American Athletic Conference regular-period titles and two AAC Event championships with Turner on the bench. He also aided guidebook the Mustangs to two NCAA Event appearances and were being ranked in the Associated Press Leading 25 in 4 of the 7 seasons. The Mustangs climbed as higher as No. 8 in 2015-16. Turner used a few seasons below the tutelage of Larry Brown, before functioning for Tim Jankovich through his closing 4 seasons.

3 Mustang players earned AAC Participant of the Yr with Turner on staff. SMU’s players garnered 15 All-AAC picks in excess of the program of all those 7 seasons, which have been the most in the extend by any university in the league during that time. Even though at SMU, Turner also helped coach 3 NBA Draft selections in Semi Ojeleye, Sterling Brown and Shake Milton.

Prior to his do the job in Dallas, Turner was on the Wichita Point out staff in 2012-13. The Shockers registered a 30-9 mark and state-of-the-art to the Ultimate 4.

Turner has also spent time as an assistant at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Hutchinson Neighborhood College or university, Cowley University, Redlands Group Higher education and Panola Local community School.

He started his collegiate taking part in vocation at Hutchinson Group School where by he gained all-convention honors, even though participating in below Jankovich. He finished his occupation at Oklahoma Metropolis College and served the Stars claim the Quicker Athletic Meeting frequent-period and event titles and progress to the NAIA quarterfinals.

A indigenous of Cincinnati, Turner acquired his diploma in felony justice from Oklahoma City College in 2003. Turner played skillfully for Benneton Treviso in Italy for a few seasons before shifting into the coaching occupation.

Turner and his wife, Cassaundra, have 3 small children, Kelis, Kenny and Kendra.