Tyler Turner returns to Goodpasture football to take over program a second time
Goodpasture has hired Tyler Turner as its new football coach, plucking a familiar name from its past nearly three weeks after parting ways with Greg Cotten, who had resigned Nov. 8.
The hire was confirmed by Goodpasture athletic director Jim Carter. Turner met with assistants and players Wednesday afternoon before meeting with the Goodpasture community.
"I'm super excited to be back," he said. "I'm fired up, man."
Turner led Goodpasture to a 9-3 record in 2020 — his only season as its coach — that included a Division II-AA state semifinal appearance. He resigned after that season to pursue other coaching opportunities, but he's back to help Goodpasture improve on this season's 3-8 record.
In 2021, he coached Jackson Prep in Mississippi, where he went 8-5. He was an assistant at Sylvan Hills, Arkansas, in 2022 before coaching Sheridan (also in Arkansas) to a 3-8 season this fall. He resigned from that role on Tuesday.
"You feel like sometimes opportunities are handed to you like this is a once-in-a-lifetime deal and it's this much money and this, this, this and you feel like this has been given to you for your hard work," Turner said. "But then you realize that may not be where you are supposed to be. You probably should have stayed put.
"Then you learn from those mistakes. I've had a lot of opportunities as a young coach. That's because I've coached a lot of good players. My thing is I'm ready to be at a place. My daughter just started first grade this year. I'm ready to be at a place where my kids can be at a school and make lasting relationships and where she can graduate from."
Before his one-year stint at Goodpasture, Turner coached at Olive Branch in Mississippi for three seasons, and two seasons at Liberty Tech in Jackson, Tennessee. He is 78-28 as a head coach.
Turner quickly turned Goodpasture around when he arrived in 2020. Prior to that, the Cougars were 1-11 against DII-AA Middle Region opponents and 7-26 in three seasons competing in Division II.
In Cotten's first year after Turner's departure, Goodpasture was 3-5. He won 12 games in three seasons.
Goodpasture is one of several programs that have made head coaching changes this fall. Franklin fired Alex Melton Oct. 2. Lipscomb Academy parted way with Kevin Mawae after one season on Nov. 3, and Brentwood Academy coach Jacob Gill lasted only one season before resigning Nov. 18.
BGA's Jonas Rodriguez also resigned, along with Ensworth's Roc Batten, who resigned Wednesday, according to a school news release.
Reach sports writer George Robinson at georgerobinson@theleafchronicle.com and on the X platform (formerly Twitter) @Cville_Sports.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TSSAA football: Goodpasture hires Tyler Turner as head coach
