By Tucker Paquette
@tpaquette17
Steve Turner, in the midst of his 21st season as the head coach at Gonzaga College High School (DC), has racked up more than his fair share of accolades throughout his career. However, Turner measures wins not only by the numbers, but also in how he is able to connect with his players of past and present.
Turner’s Purple Eagles teams have won four Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) titles, a mark made all the more impressive by the fact that the WCAC is a competitive grouping that features fellow Hoophall attendees DeMatha and St. Paul VI.
Individually, Turner has received a number of meaningful recognitions, including 2016 National Gatorade Coach of the Year honors. He’s also been recognized as the WCAC Coach of the Year five times.
The Purple Eagles earned a 73-55 win at Hoophall on Monday against Roosevelt High School (CA), a team that was 23-1 heading into the contest. The game marked a valuable opportunity for Turner and his team as they gear up for the home stretch of their regular season and some tough battles in the WCAC.
“The big thing is having an opportunity to play this great competition,” Turner said. “Today, our team got a chance to knock off the number one team in the country. Bodes well for us to be able to get ready as we go back into finishing up our league play.”
Turner has a lengthy list of former players who have found success in college, perhaps the most recognizable of whom is Kris Jenkins, a former Villanova forward who hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to down North Carolina in the 2016 NCAA National Championship.
Whether it be someone like Jenkins who made a massive impact in college basketball’s biggest moment, or a player who thrives in a more under-the-radar manner, Turner not only enjoys developing talent while they are at Gonzaga, but watching players flourish from afar once they leave the program.
“Being able to watch them evolve in four years in their time down at Gonzaga, and then watching them as they leave our house and make the transition into the next phase of their lives and continue to have those relationships [is valuable],” Tuner said.
In a way, Monday represented the perfect day for Turner. Not only did his team win, but he spotted a familiar face in the Blake Arena crowd. This blend of experiencing success in the moment while cherishing people and times from the past is the foundation of Turner’s view on what’s important in coaching.
“Today I had a kid in the stands who played on my first team as a head coach,” Turner said. “So when those guys are still coming around you, it means that you were able to have an impact on them. And that’s something that’s important to me.”
In terms of on-court philosophy, Turner emphasizes versatility, especially as the modern game focuses more and more on players who can fill multiple roles in a given lineup.
“Just continuing to go with the trends of basketball,” Turner said. “When I first started, everybody wanted a big man that you could pound the ball into in the post. Now we’re playing a game that’s positionless basketball. So honing our skills as a coaching staff to be able to help our guys understand how to be multidimensional.”
Derek Dixon, a North Carolina commit and the No. 55 recruit in ESPN’s class of 2025, is one player who Turner and his staff want to strategically develop as he prepares for the next stage of his career.
“You look at a kid like Derek Dixon, he’s an unbelievable shooter, but we’ve allowed him to be even more on the ball so that he can be prepared for when he gets to [North] Carolina,” Turner said.
Turner also has a wealth of coaching experience beyond Gonzaga. He led USA Basketball at the Men’s Nike Hoop Summit in 2023, where he coached the likes of Ron Holland, Jared McCain, Ja’Kobe Walter, Cody Williams and Isaiah Collier, all of whom were first-round picks in the 2024 NBA Draft.
He was also an assistant coach for the 2022 Team USA U17 national team, among other international squads. Turner understands the gravity of coaching a national team, and he is glad to have the chance to share his values with some of the most talented players in the country on a grand stage.
“It’s a special opportunity to be able to coach the best of the best,” Turner said. “There’s only a few ways you can represent your country, and one of them is through sport. Having that opportunity to put those three letters across your chest and go around the world to represent and showcase talent and be able to work with young men who are trying to see their dreams to get to the NBA, it’s special.”
(Photo by Liam Reilly/The Student)