UPDATE 07/10/20 18:21: San Jose State officially confirmed Peter Turner’s departure as head coach. Chase Turner, Peter Turner’s son and the Spartans’ top assistant coach, will hold the designation of interim head coach until a new coach is hired.
ORIGINAL STORY:
San Jose State head coach Peter Turner will not return to the Spartans program, according to a report on Friday from The Spear, the school’s student-run sports media outlet.
According to the report, the school intends to let Turner’s contract run out and will not extend it. The report also contained a copy of an email sent to the Spartans’ softball players by the sport administrator over softball at SJSU, Senior Associate Athletic Director Mike Waller. The email read, in part, “I’m writing to let you know that Pete Turner will no longer be the Head Softball Coach at San Jose State… I will begin an immediate national search and we will be expeditious in naming a new head coach. However, we will not rush the process as this is an important decision for all of you and our program.”
Turner has been the Spartans’ head coach since 2007, and is the winningest coach in program history. A two-time conference Coach of the Year honoree, he earned the award in 2013 and 2017. During his tenure with the program, Turner collected an overall record of 413-329; his squad boasted a 21-5 record in the abbreviated 2020 campaign.
From December of 2018 through June of 2019, eleven Spartans softball players entered the NCAA’s transfer portal; four names were later withdrawn. Since the 2020 season ended, three additional players have entered the portal.
Prior to his tenure at San Jose State, Turner spent four seasons as the head coach at San Joaquin Delta College, and enjoyed lengthy playing and coaching careers in men’s softball. He was inducted into the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame in 2007.
