| ||||||||||
Russell Turner was named an assistant basketball coach at Stanford University on May 7, 2001. Turner's appointment filled the vacancy created when Blaine Taylor assumed head coaching duties at Old Dominion University.
Turner has worked as a collegiate coach for 10 years and has experienced success on both coasts of the United States. At Stanford, Turner's duties include on-floor coaching, recruiting, scouting, game preparation, and scheduling. Turner also plays a prominent role in the Stanford Boys Basketball Camp each summer.
"Russell has proven to be a very valuable contributor to the program," said Cardinal head coach Mike Montgomery.
Turner served as an assistant coach at Wake Forest University from 1994 to 2000. During his time with the Deacons, Wake Forest won two ACC championships, and an NIT championship. The Deacons reached post-season play in all six of these years, and Head Coach Dave Odom was named ACC Coach of the year in 1995. Wake's teams averaged almost 22 wins a season during this time, and advanced to the NCAA tournament's Sweet Sixteen in 1995 and Elite Eight in 1996. At Wake, Turner helped coach NBA players Tim Duncan, Rusty Larue, Randolph Childress, Darius Songaila and Josh Howard.
Prior to his time at Wake Forest, Turner was an assistant coach at his alma-mater, Hampden-Sydney College, in 1993-94. This team finished 22-8 and reached the NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen for just the second time in school history.
Turner graduated from Hampden-Sydney in 1992 with Magna Cum Laude honors and a B.A. in English and Economics. He gained numerous academic honors including induction into Phi Beta Kappa.
As a basketball player, Turner was a two-time All-American (1991, 1992), set the school's all-time scoring record (2,272 points), and was runner-up for the NCAA Division III Player of the Year award in 1992. His teams set school records for wins, including two league championships and the school's first two NCAA Tournament appearances.
Turner grew up in Roanoke, Virginia. He met his wife Elizabeth while in high school there and the couple now reside in Menlo Park with their dog, Beauregard.