31-03-2025
Steve Turner leaves Gonzaga for Florida basketball power Montverde
Steve Turner likes mementos. The longtime Gonzaga basketball coach has collected plenty in his years on Eye Street, stockpiling trophies, jerseys, basketballs — anything to remind him of good times past. He even makes scrapbooks for each season, knowing that the press clippings and photos can transport him back to those winters whenever he likes.
Now, after 26 years at Gonzaga — 21 as head coach — Turner will pack those memories away and bring them with him to Florida. After spending nearly half his life at the Northwest Washington private school, Turner, 53, is leaving for Montverde Academy, a Florida program considered one of the best in the country.
'I never really thought this day would come. I've always felt that I have the best job in the country here at Gonzaga,' Turner said. 'Being a part of this community, knowing these kids and this staff — this was home.'
Turner said the opportunity came together quickly over the past two weeks. He recently flew to Florida for a visit and came away impressed at the school's operation beyond basketball.
'I've always been at a place where the whole school mattered,' Turner said. 'And if I was ever going to leave Gonzaga, it would have to be for a place like that. Once I was able to get that feeling from the community down there, it pulled me. … And I figured it's time for me to go out and do something I've always told my kids to do: be comfortable being uncomfortable.'
The school recently announced that coach Kevin Boyle was leaving for Ohio's Spire Academy after 14 years at the helm. Boyle won eight of the past 12 national high school championships with Montverde, coaching NBA-bound stars such as Joel Embiid, Cade Cunningham and Cooper Flagg.
'[Turner's] deep appreciation for the value of a college preparatory school environment and his commitment to nurturing student-athletes makes him a perfect fit for Montverde Academy,' Montverde Head of School Jon Hopman said in a statement. 'Coach Turner is what we call a transformational coach and mentor — one that will have a positive influence on his players … and the broader school community.'
Turner took over Gonzaga's varsity team in 2004, inheriting a proud and successful program from longtime coach Dick Myers. Under Turner's leadership, the Eagles garnered national acclaim. But the coach, a Blair alum, always cared most about winning in his hometown. A fiery competitor, he relished the intensity of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, one of the country's most talented and competitive high school basketball leagues.
'There is nothing like the rivalries of the WCAC,' Turner said. 'Unless you're a part of it you won't understand it. I'll miss those packed houses and those teams. Fans going at me. I loved it.'
He won the first of his four WCAC titles in 2008. He was named Gatorade's national coach of the year in 2016 and The Washington Post's All-Met Coach of the Year in 2019. He leaves Gonzaga with a record of 497-176 and a broad network of alumni playing across all levels of basketball.
'He's been one of the staples of the basketball scene in the DMV,' said Sidwell Friends Coach Eric Singletary, who previously served as an assistant under Turner. 'It's hard to think of Gonzaga without thinking of Steve Turner.'
As his own program climbed the local and national ladders over the past decade, Singletary has had to face his former boss in several high-stakes meetings. A few weeks ago, Gonzaga topped Sidwell to win the D.C. State Athletic Association championship and snap the Quakers' streak of three straight titles. The win was Turner's third and final D.C. state crown.
'When you play a Steve Turner team, you know that because of his competitiveness his team is going to be competitive and well prepared,' Singletary said. 'You're going to face a team with an unbelievable tradition, so they believe they should win every time they play. You have to beat them because they're not going to beat themselves.'
Turner produced a steady stream of Division I players over the years, molding All-Met talents Tyler Thornton (Duke), Kris Jenkins (Villanova) and Chris Lykes (Miami).
'He's a legend,' said Terrance Williams II, who played for Gonzaga from 2016 to 2020 and is now at USC. 'He leaves a legacy at Gonzaga. … I think when people talk about his teams, they'll say we were disciplined. We stayed within a system, and it worked.'
This season, the Eagles were led by a starting lineup of five Division I-bound seniors. The Eagles (29-5) finished as D.C. state champions, WCAC runners-up and the No. 2 team in The Washington Post's local rankings. Turner was named WCAC coach of the year for a sixth time.
'Outside of all the accolades, his teams always stayed together and played gritty basketball,' senior Nyk Lewis said. 'You always knew we were going to want it more than the other team.'
Turner said he will finish out the school year at Gonzaga before heading south.
'I'm looking forward to really saying goodbye to people, not just packing up and leaving,' Turner said. 'That way I can make it clear to them that I'm gone but I'm not. I'm just a phone call away.'
