Turner Promoted to Head Cross Country Coach

Miami University Director of Cross Country/Track and Field Russ Peterson announced the promotion of De'Sean Turner this afternoon. Turner will now be the RedHawks' head cross country coach and associate head track and field coach.

"I'm extremely excited to begin this new chapter of my coaching career," Turner said. "There's a rich history with this program and I look forward to continuing and building on the recent success that we've garnered.

"I would like to thank David Sayler and the athletic department for the opportunity, as well as Coach Peterson for entrusting me with leading the distance program. I would also like to thank the student-athletes that I have been lucky enough to help guide over the past seven years. Their hard work and trust in the coaching staff have led to many special moments for themselves and the program.

"I'm more than ready to help our current and future groups of Miami athletes accomplish their goals, on and off the track."

Turner joined the Miami coaching staff as an assistant coach prior to the 2017-18 season. His work with the RedHawk distance runners helped Miami capture men's cross country team titles in 2018 and 2022 (as part of eight consecutive top-three team finishes overall), as well as RedHawks sweeping the men's and women's individual titles at the 2022 MAC cross country meet for the first time ever. Miami also claimed the men's outdoor track title in the spring of 2021.

The RedHawk men finished third in the MAC Cross Country Championships last fall, while Miami's women came in eighth, with the programs combining for four All-MAC honorees. During the 2024 indoor track season, the RedHawk women posted a second consecutive top-five team finish at the MAC Championships for the first time in more than a decade, including an additional individual All-MAC recognition. Miami's women also finished in the top five at the MAC Outdoor Championships in the spring, with the men coming in seventh, as the RedHawks earned seven All-MAC outdoor honors and produced three NCAA East First Round qualifiers. The Red and White collected 60 Academic All-MAC awards between cross country, indoor track and outdoor track, along with two Academic All-District selections.

The previous year, Miami produced a group of eight First-Team and 11 Second-Team All-MAC picks between cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. Three RedHawk distance runners brought home NCAA All-American accolades (Ava Nuttall, second team in 10K; Carmen Riano and Charlie Harders, honorable mention in steeplechase), and Patrick Wills (cross country) was the MAC Men's Freshman of the Year. The Red and White also qualified for a total of 42 Academic All-MAC honors and 10 Academic All-District awards. Miami runners won MAC titles in the women's 3,000m (indoor), men's and women's steeplechase (outdoor), 5K (outdoor) and 10K (outdoor), while the women's indoor track team posted its first top-five MAC finish since 2012.

In 2021-22, seven Miami student-athletes competed in the NCAA East prelims, led by Carmen Riano, who advanced to the national meet and finished as an All-American in the steeplechase (14th place). Riano won MAC outdoor individual titles in the steeple and the 5K, while Charlie Harders claimed the steeplechase crown on the men's side and Lotti Roemer won the mile at the women's indoor championships. The cross country campaign featured a pair of top-three MAC team finishes, as the women took second place and the men came in third. 62 different RedHawks were recognized as Academic All-MAC between cross country, indoor track and outdoor track.

The 2020-21 academic year was highlighted by the RedHawk men finishing first in the conference's outdoor track championships. Miami produced a MAC individual champion in the women's indoor pentathlon (Sarah Bruns) and a myriad of MAC outdoor champions, including Sean Torpy in the 1500 and Harders in the steeplechase. The RedHawks also fared exceedingly well on the national stage, with Finley Mclear taking second in the indoor 800m and fourth in the outdoor 800m. The RedHawks' DMR team (Sean Torpy, Luke Finnegan, Andrew Schroff, Chris Torpy) picked up All-American honors as well, claiming eighth at the NCAA indoor championships. In addition, Sean Torpy became Miami's first Academic All-American since 2008.

Other accomplishments during Turner's time at Miami include Sean Torpy winning the 800, 1500, and 5000 races in the 2019 MAC Outdoor Championships, earning Men's Most Valuable Performer. Both Torpy brothers went on to become NCAA All-Americans that spring: Sean was 17th in the nation in the 800, and Chris was 14th in the 1500. In 2018, Miami took first place in two men's (800, 1500) and two women's (10,000, 4x400 relay) outdoor track events, and Maria Scavuzzo was credited with the Most Outstanding Performance (women's) at the meet. Chris Torpy also took 23rd place in the 1,500m at the national championships that spring, becoming an All-American for the first time.

Turner was recognized as MAC Men's Co-Assistant Coach of the Year in 2018. He graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor's Degree in Telecommunications in 2012 and later earned a Master's Degree in Applied Sport Science from IU in 2016.

As a student-athlete at Indiana, Turner was a six-time All-American, earning first team honors and scoring points for IU in five of the NCAA Championships he competed in. He helped the Hoosiers score indoors in the distance medley in 2009, 2010 and 2012 while earning individual All-American status outdoors in the steeplechase from 2010-12, finishing as high as sixth as a junior in 2011.

Turner competed professionally from 2012 through 2016 as a member of Team Indiana Elite and later for Hoka One One. He was a member of Team USA at the 2013 USA Track & Field World Championships, where he competed in the steeplechase.

"De'Sean Turner has truly exemplified what it means to be an 'up-and-coming' coach in his eight years at Miami University," said Peterson. "His relentless pursuit of professional growth, coupled with his ambitious outlook and deep commitment to building a program that continually sets new standards, has been nothing short of impressive.

"De'Sean has developed into an exceptional representative of our program and university, and I am excited to work alongside him as we strive to elevate our student-athletes to their highest potential both on and off the track.

"This promotion to Head Cross Country Coach and Associate Head Track & Field Coach is a testament to his hard work and vision. It was a key component of the strategic plan I presented to Miami's administration, which has been met with overwhelming support. De'Sean's leadership, especially in the distance events, represents a bright future for our historic program."

Miami begins the cross country season on Friday, Aug. 30 at Northern Kentucky's Queen City Invitational in Highland Heights, Ky.

Turner Promoted to Head Cross Country Coach

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