Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Alan Turner joins track and field staff
08/23/2005 | 12:00:00 | Track and Field
Aug. 23, 2005
By Shalae Schulte
www.siusalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Alan Turner joined the Saluki track and field coaching staff as the new sprints coach for the 2005-06 season. Turner comes to Southern Illinois after spending two years at Proviso East High School in Maywood, Ill., where he was an assistant coach.
Turner will be in charge of workouts for all Saluki sprinters and hurdlers.
"Alan has a great base, being from the Chicago area, and as a track athlete at Indiana," head track and field coach Connie Price-Smith said. "He will be able to recruit the state well and bring a good balance to our program."
While at Proviso East, Turner coached one Junior National Champion, three Junior National qualifiers, two Illinois High School Association (IHSA) state champions, three all-state and six sectional champions.
"I enjoy my job more every day," Turner said. "I've never been tired of track and field. When you really love something you do, you can't consider it work. I really enjoy being around the kids, and I enjoy watching them work and develop into well-rounded students, athletes and people."
Prior to Proviso East, Turner assisted triple jumper, Kamau Sullivan, in qualifying for the USATF Nationals in 1993 and 1994, as a member of the Indiana Track Club.
As an athlete, Turner was a three-time All-American at Indiana University. He won five Big Ten titles, including two long-jump, two 400-meter and one 4x400-meter relay. He was a team captain for the Hoosiers for three seasons, winning five-straight Big Ten Conference team titles from 1990 indoor to 1992 indoor. In 1991, he won the NCAA indoor long jump title and was runner-up at the NCAA outdoor championships. Turner still holds the Indiana record in the outdoor long jump and the 4x100-meter relay.
Outside of collegiate competition, Turner finished in the top-eight in the long jump at the USA Outdoor Championships four times. He was a member of five U.S. National teams, winning the gold medal at the 1991 World University Games in the long jump.
A native of North Chicago, Ill., Turner earned a bachelor's degree in public finance and an economics minor from Indiana in 1992.
