Rocky Mount, NC — After serving as an assistant coach for the men’s basketball program at Goshen College for the past three seasons, Josh Turnpaugh has accepted a similar position at North Carolina Wesleyan College (NCAA Div. III), the Leafs’ program announced Tuesday.
Turnpaugh, who played at Goshen from 2000-2004, concludes a seven-year tenure filled with highlights. A talented shooter and extremely hard worker, Turnpaugh started in 105 of 123 total games played, ending his career as one of the program’s top three-point shooting threats. The six-foot shooting guard knocked in 231 career three pointers (fourth in program career history) and shot a 39 percent clip from behind the arc (seventh best all-time). Turnpaugh remains as Goshen’s fifth-best career free throw shooter, making 82 percent of his 103 attempts.
Perhaps most notable, however, is Turnpaugh’s penchant for team success, as he helped Goshen to a 21-12 record as a senior (2003-2004) and a 21-11 record in his first season on the bench (2004-2005). Those seasons remain as the Leafs’ only 20-win seasons to date, while Turnpaugh is the only individual in program history to lay claim to 20-win efforts as both a player and a coach.
“I’m very excited about a new opportunity at North Carolina Wesleyan, but I leave Goshen with mixed feelings,” Turnpaugh said. “A select group of people made Goshen College as special as it is to me. Athletic director Ken Pletcher, the basketball coaching staff and the great teammates I had the privilege of playing with and coaching is what truly made my time at Goshen so special. We started out by installing a strong foundation based upon loyalty, commitment and hard work and continued to grow upwards because of the players and coaches who represented us so well, both on and off the court.”
Turnpaugh said his decision to move to North Carolina was personal in nature, though he cited former head coach Stan Daugherty’s resignation in early May (click here for related article) as a militating circumstance.
“I have a great deal of respect for Coach Daugherty and the turnaround he accomplished during his time at GC,” Turnpaugh said. “He not only gave me my first coaching opportunity but also was a mentor and served in great propriety in the development of my own basketball philosophy. He allowed me the freedom to coach and contribute under my personality and characteristics, and that has shaped and prepared me for many new opportunities and challenges to come in the future.”
Turnpaugh served as a student assistant coach in his first year on the bench, but was quickly appointed to full-time staff after former player and assistant coach Mark Landes accepted a banking position in Denver at the outset of the 2005-2006 season. Turnpaugh quickly took over the program’s strength and conditioning regimen, and was placed in charge of the Leafs’ post play — a foreign experience to a six-foot shooting guard.
“Josh continued to improve as a coach from the very first day that he volunteered to work on our staff,” Daugherty said. “He approached coaching just like he approached playing, working hard each day to be the best that he could be. I think his future in coaching will be a good one because he understands that coaching is about relationships and service to people. I am thrilled that I got to play a small role in Josh's growth as a player, coach and most importantly, as a person.”
Turnpaugh now joins a North Carolina Wesleyan program that finished 12-15 overall in 2006-2007 with a 5-7 mark in the USA South Athletic Conference. The Bishops are poised to return 89.9 percent of their scoring and 83.9 percent of their rebounding this season, while Turnpaugh said he will be primarily responsible for perimeter player development, opponent scouting and recruiting.
“(North Carolina Wesleyan College head men’s basketball coach John) Thompson is one of the premier D-3 coaches on the east coast and in the USA South," Turnpaugh said. "His knowledge, dedication and true passion for the game really drew me towards his program. As the team progresses throughout the season I believe the returning talent mixed in with the new additions will make for an extremely competitive team vying for a possible conference championship.”
Current Goshen head coach Gary Chupp said he plans to announce his coaching staff in the coming days. Check back to this site for information regarding the Leafs' coaching changes.
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Josh Turnpaugh