Anthony Turner joined the SMU women’s basketball program in early April of 2025 and enters his second season as an assistant coach on the Hilltop in 2026. It will be Turner’s fourth season as a part of Head Coach Adia Barnes’ staff after spending two seasons with Barnes at Arizona before arriving at SMU.
During the 2025-26 season, Turner helped SMU become a fierce defensive team as the Mustangs ranked third in the ACC in steals per game at 10.0. Turner worked closely with the Mustangs’ post players and developed the unit into a strong shot-blocking unit, as the Mustangs ranked sixth in the ACC in blocks per game (4.4). Grace Hall and Anaya Brown ranked 11th in the ACC with 42 blocks each, while Hall was third in the conference in blocked shots per game (1.56).
Turner was also selected to participate in the WBCA 2026 Next Generation Institute. Institute, a high-level education program for experienced assistant coaches who aspire to become collegiate head coaches. He was also a 2025-2026 WBCA Assistant Coach Committee Member.
Prior to arriving on the Hilltop, Turner spent two seasons as an Assistant Coach at Arizona (2023-25). He worked closely with the post players in Tucson while assisting with all aspects of recruiting, and produced scouting reports and opponent breakdowns, including pre- and post-game reports.
In his first season with the Wildcats, Turner helped the team to 18 wins and its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth as the Wildcats defeated a pair of top-15 opponents in No. 15 Utah and No. 3 Stanford. He helped guide five players to Pac-12 annual honors, including Helena Pueyo's All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 All-Defensive accolades. Pueyo and Esmery Martinez were both selected in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Before heading to Arizona, Turner served as an Assistant Coach and Recruiting coordinator at Weber State (2019-2023) for five seasons. During his time in Ogden, Turner recruited and helped develop Daryn Hickok into an All-Big Sky selection in three consecutive seasons. His recruiting highlights at Weber State also include bringing in the No. 2-rated recruiting class in the Big Sky.
Turner spent three seasons (2016-19) at Utah Valley serving as an Associate Head Coach, with duties that included being the program's recruiting coordinator, defensive coordinator and post player development coach before he went to Weber State. In his first season, he helped guide the Wolverines to a WAC Tournament semifinal run for the second-straight year, marking only the second time in program history to advance beyond the opening round of the conference tournament. During his time as a Wolverine, he has had two recruiting classes ranked No.2 in the WAC, the highest in program history and landed Alexis Cortez, who was ESPN #21 rated guard in the class of 2019.
Prior to his time at Utah Valley, Turner spent five years as an Assistant Coach at New Mexico (2011-2016). While with the Lobos, Turner served as the primary recruiting coordinator, mastering every aspect of recruiting, and had the number one-ranked recruiting class in the conference in three years during his tenure.
Players that Turner recruited to New Mexico accounted for six first team All-MWC awards, two All-Defense awards, two All-Freshman awards, one sixth player award and the 2019 MWC Player of the Year. Turner also worked with the post players, and under his tutelage, Lobo players finished second in the Mountain West Conference in blocked shots in 2011-12. The Lobos were invited to postseason play three times, advanced to two MWC Tournament Championship games and set a New Mexico program record for longest winning streak in the 2014-2015 season.
Turner was selected to participate in the NCAA BCA/ACE program in 2011. This highly selective and prestigious program selects 24 minority assistant coaches in basketball, 12 women's basketball assistants and 12 men's basketball assistants and trains them at the NCAA headquarters, with the purpose of preparing them to become successful head coaches.
Before coaching at New Mexico, Turner spent a season with Boise State (2010-11), two seasons with Oregon State (2008-10), six years with UNLV (2002-08) and two years with San Diego State (2000-02).
In his first year at Oregon State, he helped the program to a 20-win season for the first time in 20 years. He additionally recruited two Pac-12 All-Freshman Team players, one First Team All-Pac-12 player, one Pac-12 All-Defensive Team member and earned a bid to the WNIT while in Corvallis.
In his six years at UNLV, the Rebels earned four trips to postseason play, including an appearance in the championship game of the WNIT. Also at UNLV, as the post position coach, he helped two players earn All-American honors and recruited players who accounted for 10 all-conference recognitions, including two MWC Defensive Players of the Year, two rebounding leaders, two scoring leaders and a Newcomer of the Year.
Turner has amassed 27 years of experience coaching and assisting with women's basketball programs in the West. He is a 2008 graduate of the University of Colorado. He and his wife, Jaime, have twin daughters, Alexis and Justice.
