The 5th Quarter Podcast with Sandy Adams

Real Talk with Coach Andre Turner: Growing up on the baseball diamond, leading the charge at Memphis State, the wisdom of Spain and the love he feels for his hometown of Memphis.  

Family is the essence of Andre Turner, a proud girl-dad. Coach Turner played pro-basketball in Spain until well into his 40s and still picks up the ball every now and then or when Lane College needs a fundraising game.

A graduate of Mitchell High School in Memphis, Turner electrified fans as the dazzling point guard of the Memphis State Tigers (now University of Memphis). His collegiate career (1982-86) was highlighted by the run his Tigers made in the 1985 NCAA Tournament.

The Tigers cruised past Penn in the opening round and then, on the strength of three consecutive game winning shots by Turner himself, Memphis topped UAB, Boston College, and Oklahoma to reach the Final Four, losing only to eventual National Champion Villanova in the semifinal game.

Turner finished his Memphis career with 1,442 points in four seasons, a total that ranks him 14^th all-time in school history. He set the Memphis record for assists in a single game with 15 against South Carolina in 1986, assists in a season with 262 during the 1985-86 campaign, and assists in a career with 763.

Turner was named to the All-Metro Conference Freshman Team, twice selected to the All-Metro Conference Team, the NCAA All-Midwest Regional Team, Al McGuire’s All-Freshman Team, Basketball Weekly’s All-South Team, the USBWA All-District 3 Team and the 1986 Associated Press and UPI All-American Teams.

Tuner entered the 1986 NBA draft and was picked as the 69th overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers.  He played six years in the league before heading to Europe where he played well over a dozen seasons.  It was in Spain where he won the 1997 Spanish King’s Cup MVP Award and saw him named to six all-star teams.

In addition to his time in the NBA and Spain, Turner also played professionally in the Continental Basketball Association for the La Crosse Catbirds, where he led the team to the 1989–1990 CBA Championship, and in the World Basketball League for the Memphis Rockers.

After returning to home to Memphis, Turner coached 11 years at Mitchell High School, including the last six as head coach. During his tenure, Turner led his alma mater to eight state tournament appearances and three state championships (2014, 2015, and 2016).

Andre Turner went back and finished his degree at the University of Memphis and in 2003 was inducted into the University of Memphis Hall of Fame. 

Coach Andre Turner currently splits his time between Memphis and Jackson Tennessee where he’s the current Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Lane College.

• High School: Mitchell in Memphis, Tennessee
• College: Memphis State now Univ of Memphis
• Draft: Los Angeles Lakers, 3rd round (69th overall), 1986 NBA Draft
• NBA Debut: November 12, 1986