M. K. Turk

M. K. Turk (1942-2013)

Teams coached: Southern Miss Golden Eagles
Southern Miss record: 300-267 (.529)
Overall record^: 300-267 (.529)

Career Accomplishments:

  • NCAA National Championships:  0
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances:  2  (1990, 1991)
  • NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen:  0
  • NIT Championships:  1  (1987)
  • NIT Appearances:  6  (1981, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1994, 1995)
  • Metro Regular Season Champion:  1  (1991)

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1976-1996 Southern Miss
1974-1976 Memphis State (asst)
1968-1974 Copiah-Lincoln CC
1967-1968 Livingston (asst)
1964-1965 Livingston (grad. asst)

M. K. Turk Facts

  • M. K. Turk
  • Born May 20, 1942
  • Died December 6, 2013
  • Hometown: Bardwell, Kentucky
  • Alma Mater: Livingston University (BA, 1964)
  • Played at Copiah-Lincoln CC (MS) and Livingston (now West Alabama), twice earning All-Conference honors at the latter
    • Started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Livingston and later returned as a full-time assistant
  • Served as head basketball coach and assistant football coach for two years at Cobb County HS (GA)
  • Returneed to Copiah-Lincoln in 1968 to be the head basketball coach and athletic director
  • Hired by Wayne Yates to be an assistant coach at Memphis State from 1974-76
  • Became the head coach at Southern Miss in 1976, a position he would hold for the next twenty years
    • Went 300-267 during his tenure, reaching two NCAA Tournaments and six NITs
    • USM was an Independent when Turk was first hired, but later joined the Metro; Turk won a Metro title in 1991
  • Inducted into the Livingston Athletic HOF (c/o 1981), Copiah-Lincoln CC Athletic HOF (c/o 1987), Southern Miss Athletic HOF (c/o 1991) and the Mississippi Sports HOF (c/o 2005)
  • Passed away at age 71 in late 2013; survived by his wife, Katrina, and their two daughters

M. K. Turk Coaching Tree

  • Jay Ladner (Southern Miss, Southeastern Louisiana)
  • John Prince (Jackson State)

 

^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA Division I level only