Anthony Turner enters his fifth season as an assistant for Coach Yvonne Sanchez at the University of New Mexico. Turner came to Albuquerque from Boise State, and brings over a decade of collegiate coaching experience. Along with his time in Boise, Turner has experience at both UNLV and San Diego State, along with Oregon State of Pac-12 Conference.
Coach Turner’s responsibilities with the Lobos include recruiting coordinator while coaching the post players.
The 2013-14 season saw several milestones for UNM post players. Kianna Keller finished tied for third all-time in blocks by a freshman while recording six blocks versus Texas (11-19-13); the second-most ever in a game by a Lobo freshman. 2013-14 also saw sophomore forward Khadijah Shumpert emerge as an inside force for the Lobos after improving her scoring (+6.9 ppg), rebounding (+3.5 rpg), blocks (+0.9 bpg) and steals (+0.6 spg) from her freshman campaign.
He was part of Coach Sanchez’s staff that saw a six-win improvement in the 2012-13 season. The Lobos went on to defeat UNLV in the MW Tournament quarterfinals, which marked the seventh consecutive season the Lobos have won at least one game in the conference tournament.
Under Turner’s tutelage, Lobo post players finished second in the Mountain West in blocked shots in 2011-12. Turner oversaw the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year and Third Team All-Conference member Porche Torrance. Torrance would lead the conference in rebounding while averaging 11.7 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game.
As a member of the Lobo staff in 2011-12, Turner helped the program makes its historic Mountain West Tournament run. New Mexico became the first seventh seed to not only defeat a second-seeded team but became the first seventh seeded-team to advance to the championship game in Mountain West history.
Turner was with the Broncos for the 2010-11 season, but his defensive schemes made an immediate impact. The Broncos allowed opponents to shoot just .404 from the field for the season, and only .337 from the three.
Turner is known for his west-coast recruiting ties, ties that he has cultivated through a career spent in the western United States. He spent two years with the Beavers of Oregon State, helping them to a 20-12 record in 2008-09, as the Beavers advanced to the second round of the WNIT. In two years Turner helped coach three Beavers to postseason honors, one received All-Pac-10 Third Team honors, one honorable mention and one Pac-10 Freshmen Team recognition.
Prior to OSU, Turner spent eight years in the Mountain West, including six with UNLV. With the Rebels, he tutored a pair of Honorable Mention All-Americans in RanDee Henry and Sherry McCracklin, who both earned the honor during the 2003-04 season. Henry earned Mountain West Newcomer of the Year honors that season while McCracklin was named Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Both were also selected to the All-MW First-Team in 2003-04; McCracklin earned a third-team selection the previous season while Henry was named to the second-team in 2004-05.
An excellent recruiter, Turner assisted with all aspects of recruiting, both on campus and off, and garnered commitments from several top-50 recruits. He recruited Sequoia Holmes, who signed a contract with the WNBA’s Houston Comets. Holmes ended her career at UNLV as a three-time All-MW selection, just the fifth different player in school history to accomplish the feat. All told, Turner mentored players who earned Mountain West Newcomer of the Year honors, the MW Defensive Player of the Year, two league scoring leaders, an MW rebounding leader and one league steals leader, as well as, numerous All-Conference honorees.
During his tenure at UNLV, the Lady Rebels made four WNIT appearances, including a trip to the final game in 2004. The 2003-04 team posted 26 wins, tying for third-most in school history.
Prior to joining the staff at UNLV, Turner was an assistant coach at San Diego State from 2000-02. While there, he assisted with the day-to-day operations of the program as well as with recruiting, scouting reports, film exchange, court instruction and conditioning. His primary focus was the team’s guard play and directing the Aztecs’ summer camps.
“I have known Anthony for a long time, and I am fortunate to hire someone of Anthony’s work ethic, knowledge and character to the UNM Women’s basketball staff,” said Sanchez. “He has coached in the Mountain West Conference and is familiar with the surroundings, and it’s changes. Anthony is a tireless worker with tremendous connections. He is very knowledgeable on the basketball court with player development and basketball situations. I am excited to work with Anthony and build something special here at The University of New Mexico.”
Turner is a 1999 graduate of the University of Colorado, and he and his wife Jaime have twin daughters, Alexis and Justice.