By Mitch Lehman
San Marino Tribune
San Marino High School announced earlier this week its hiring of a former NFL player, Nate Turner, as its new head varsity football coach.
Turner brings a wealth of coaching experience at both the high school and college levels as well as an accomplished career as an NFL player for the San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints. He impressed the committee with his vast experience, calm demeanor and professionalism and is eager to make San Marino High School his home for many years as a coach and valued member of our school community.
Through his leadership, Turner has developed and cultivated programs for success on the field and in the classroom at both the college and high school levels. He served as the associate head coach and offensive coordinator at Los Angeles Valley College (2020 season), associate head football coach and offensive coordinator at Moorpark College (2019) and head football coach at L.A. Southwest College (2017-19). At the high school level, Turner was the head football coach at Taft High in Woodland Hills (2016-17) and assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Long Beach Poly (2015-16).
While at these jobs, he has coached NFL players Jeff Hector (Baltimore Ravens), Iman Marshall (Baltimore Ravens) and Jack Jones (New England Patriots).
Turner is an advocate of emphasizing academic achievement in order to prepare his players for the next phases of their lives.
Turner’s NFL playing career included time with the Chargers (2001-03) and Saints (2003-06) as a wide receiver, kick returner and punt return specialist. He played collegiately at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) after a stint at Mt. San Antonio College and prepping at L.A.’s Jordan High School, playing for the late hall of famer Willie Brown. While at UNLV, Turner played for legendary coach John Robinson and played in the Las Vegas Bowl where he was named the game’s co-MVP.
While at UNLV, Turner led the Mountain West Conference in many receiving categories including receptions, total yards, touchdowns. During the 2000 season, he was named All-Mountain West Conference.
His daughter, Blake Turner, is graduating this summer with a degree in biomedical engineering from Columbia University where she also starred in soccer for the Lions. Turner’s other daughter, Reilyn, is a soccer star for NCAA national champion UCLA and is also Nike’s first NIL athlete.
Nate Turner replaces Ray Torres, who led the Titans to a second-place finish in the Rio Hondo League and a 5-6 overall record in 2022.
