One of the youngest coordinators in the PSAC, Jawan Turner enters his third season as the defensive coordinator at California (PA) in 2024 after serving as the linebackers coach the previous two years.
Turner has mentored a unit that has ranked among the top in the PSAC in both rushing defense and sacks in each of his two seasons as a defensive coordinator. The Vulcans led the country in 2022 by allowing just 56.5 rushing yards per game while pacing the league in TFL and sacks per game. Last fall, Cal ranked among the top 15 in the nation in sacks per game despite the loss of four All-PSAC West selections.
A native of Pittsburgh, Turner has developed multiple All-PSAC West linebackers with Noah Dillow and Matt Tobery earning recognition a combined five times. Dillow was a two-time, first-team selection under Turner after totaling nearly 170 stops and 20.0 TFL over his last two seasons, while Tobey collected almost 200 stops in his three years as an all-league honoree.
Turner started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Lenoir-Rhyne in the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) in 2017 under former Cal head coach Mike Kellar (2012-15). The following year, the Bears recorded an incredible nine-win improvement and finished 12-2 overall under first-year head coach Drew Cronic, who is now the offensive coordinator at Navy. Lenoir-Rhyne posted a 7-0 league record to win the 2018 SAC Championship and advanced to quarterfinals of the NCAA Playoffs.
While with the Bears, Turner worked with both outside linebackers and defensive ends. He aided in the development of All-American defensive end Jaquan Artis, who was a 2019 national finalist for both the Harlon Hill Trophy and Gene Upshaw Award. Artis closed his career with a school record 29.0 career sacks after leading the country with 14.5 sacks as a senior.
Turner reunited with Kellar in 2019 as the defensive line coach at Glenville State. The Pioneers finished with a 7-4 overall record after winning their last three games of the season, highlighted by a road upset of MEC Champion Notre Dame (Ohio). Glenville State featured the top scoring defense and red-zone defense in the league, plus finished fourth in the MEC in rushing defense and total defense.
A standout for the Vulcans, Turner was a three-year starter on the defensive line from 2014-16. He earned All-PSAC West status three times at Cal and twice received first-team honors. He led the team and ranked among the top 10 in the league in TFL and sacks during his first year as a starter. As a senior, he finished with nearly 50 tackles and garnered all-region laurels from multiple organizations. Turner served as a captain in 2016 and helped anchor a unit that finished in the top 10 in the country in total defense and scoring defense, as the Vulcans captured the PSAC Championship and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Playoffs.
Turner completed his bachelor's degree in communication studies with a concentration in speech communication from Cal in 2017. He later earned his master's degree in leadership from Lenoir-Rhyne in 2019.
He resides in the South Hills of Pittsburgh with his wife Tialiah and their children, Trinity and Taylani.
