Cameron Turner named new EAC Men’s Basketball Coach

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THATCHER — Eastern Arizona College has named Cameron Turner as their next
men’s basketball coach. Turner becomes just the third coach since 2007 to lead
the Gila Monsters.

Turner replaces Maurice Leitzke who resigned after 14 seasons at the helm.
Under Leitzke, the Monsters averaged 19 wins per season, the highest winning
percentage in the history of Monster Basketball. That success led to 13 NJCAA
All-Americans as well, which is more than the history of the program, combined.

86 former players moved on to the 4-year level under Leitzke, 32 of them to
the Division 1 level.

Cameron Turner takes over after a very successful 5-year stint as the
Women’s Basketball coach at Eastern Arizona College. In 2020 he was named ACCAC
and West District Coach of the Year. He finished with an 83-29 record on the
Women’s side but was an impressive 44-8 over the last two seasons.

Turner hit the recruiting trail hard early and has named his first two
recruits.

6’4 Talbot Cummard from Mesa High averaged 14.8 points per game and 6
rebounds for the Jackrabbits this season and 6’7 guard Akok Marchar from
Adelaide, Australia.

Turner also spent six seasons on the Alaska Anchorage men’s basketball staff
from 2011-17, including the final five as the program’s top assistant and
recruiting coordinator.

During his first season with UAA in 2011-12, Turner served as the graduate
assistant coach for a Seawolf squad that went 23-7 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament
2nd Round. Overall, UAA went 116-61 during Turner’s tenure, finishing in the
top four in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference each year and producing 12
All-GNAC first- or second-team honorees.

“I am very excited and thankful for the opportunity to be the new men’s
coach here at Eastern. I have had thoroughly enjoyed my time as the women’s
coach. Winning championships, and helping many young ladies reach their dreams
of obtaining a degree and moving onto playing college basketball at the highest
level”, said Turner.

“Becoming the men’s coach is exciting and a fun new challenge to go
back to my roots to coach back on the men’s side that I did before I came to
EAC. I have hit the ground running on finding the next great Monsters,” he
added.

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