A former standout for the Vulcans, Jawan Turner enters his seventh season on the California (PA) football coaching staff in 2026 and his fifth season as defensive coordinator.
Turner has helped establish Cal as one of the top defensive programs in the PSAC during his tenure as defensive coordinator. The Vulcans led NCAA Division II in rushing defense in 2022 after allowing just 56.5 rushing yards per game while also pacing the PSAC in tackles for loss and sacks per game. The following year, Cal ranked among the nation's top 15 teams in sacks per game despite replacing four All-PSAC West selections. In 2025, the Vulcans led the PSAC and ranked eighth nationally with 26 forced turnovers while advancing to the second round of the NCAA Playoffs.
Turner has also developed multiple standout linebackers during his tenure. Noah Dillow earned First-Team All-PSAC West honors twice under Turner, while Matt Tobey collected all-league recognition three times. Dillow totaled nearly 170 tackles and 20.0 tackles for loss over his final 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 in 2017 under former Cal head coach Mike Kellar. The following year, the Bears finished 12-2 overall, posted a 7-0 league record to win the SAC Championship and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Playoffs. Turner worked with both outside linebackers and defensive ends while with the Bears and helped develop All-American defensive end Jaquan Artis, who was a national finalist for both the Harlon Hill Trophy and Gene Upshaw Award in 2019.
Turner reunited with Kellar in 2019 as the defensive line coach at Glenville State. The Pioneers finished 7-4 overall after winning their final three games, 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 while also ranking 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 honors three times at Cal and twice received first-team recognition. As a senior, he finished with nearly 50 tackles and earned all-region honors from multiple organizations while helping anchor a defense that ranked among the top 10 in the country in total defense and scoring defense. Cal captured the PSAC Championship and advanced to the Super Region One Championship in the NCAA Playoffs with Turner serving as a team captain.
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.
