After a nationwide search Joliet Junior College Director of Athletics Gregg Braun has announced that Danny Turner will be the head men’s basketball coach for the Wolves.
“We are very excited to bring Danny into the Wolves athletic family,” Braun said. “There was much interest in this position, but during the search what stood out for us was Danny’s connection to Joliet, the local community and the overall passion he has for the game and our area.”
Those local ties began at Providence Catholic high school, where he played basketball for the Celtics, graduating in 1982. He then attended JJC, played basketball and then went into the workforce.
While working he got the coaching bug and coached at Providence in the lower levels and moved up from there, with college coaching experience at the junior college level, as he coached at Prairie State College and then at Elizabeth City State, an NCAA Division II university in North Carolina.
“I’m very grateful for this opportunity,” Turner said. “It’s like I’m back at home, a homecoming so to speak. It’s coming full circle which is so exciting.
“I believe coaching is the highest form of teaching and that is what I want to bring to, not only the basketball program, but everything I do at JJC. We are teaching lifelong skills as coaches and we want to help every student-athlete have the opportunity and then be able to matriculate to the next level.”
Goals for the new head coach are pretty simple, as he will implement his system on the floor and assess the strengths and weaknesses of each player.
“We want to help each player grow as individuals in all areas,” Turner said. “It’s all about the development of each individual and when you do that and come together as a team, the wins will come.”
Braun is excited about his long ties to the area and bring that local talent to the Joliet campus.
“Danny will be able to recruit the local area and build relationships within our district to give everyone the opportunity to compete at the next level,” Braun said. “I heard from numerous high school and college coaches about his passion for the game, the sport of basketball, our community and I’m so excited to be adding Danny to our staff. I am excited to watch what Danny will do for the program and our student athletes as we move forward.”
Turner is also a physical education teacher and driver’s education instructor at Thornwood high school. He has three children, Markus, a recent Lewis University graduate, Kaila, who played basketball at Notre Dame and was part of the National title runs for the Irish and youngest son Kollen.
Joliet JC names Turner as new Head Men’s Basketball Coach
