Florida Gators

David Turner enters his third year coaching the Gators defensive line.

David Turner has 35 years of coaching experience and worked with Dan Mullen for four seasons (2009, 2010-12) at Mississippi State.
 
Before spending the 2018 season at UTSA, Turner spent the previous 16 years in the Southeastern Conference at Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Alabama and Vanderbilt.
 
During his coaching career, Turner has mentored several NFL players, including 2017 overall No. 1 selection Myles Garrett, 2012 12th overall selection Fletcher Cox, Josh Boyd, Jovan Haye, Kyle Love, Pernell McPhee and Preston Smith.
 
Turner earned his bachelor's degree in sociology from Davidson in 1985 and is married to the former Yvette Modica and the couple has two daughters, Bianca and Alexyia.
 
Florida (2019-Present)
In 2020, Florida continued to show its prowess in getting to the quarterback. The Gators tied for the SEC lead and tied for seventh nationally with 35 sacks. UF also ranked second in the league with 73 tackles for loss. Florida had a season-high six
sacks against Tennessee.

Zachary Carter paced the Gators with five sacks and equaled the 9.5 tackles for loss with Brenton Cox Jr. In his first season in a Gators uniform, Cox added four sacks and led the team with 18 quarterback hurries.

Tedarrell Slaton added his name to the long list of draft picks under the watch of Turner as he was selected 173^rd overall by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round. Slaton notched 37 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 12 starts at defensive tackle in 2020.

In his first season with the Gators in 2019, Turner helped instill a relentless pass rush as Florida was one of the best teams in the nation, ranking fifth nationally with 49 sacks – which led the SEC by 12 sacks and was the fourth-highest season total in program history. UF was one of only two teams (N.C. State) with multiple 8-sack games on the season, as UF 10 in its season-opening win over Miami and eight in its win over Florida State. The Gators also tied for 11th nationally with 102 tackles for loss on the season -- which led the SEC by six TFLs.

Jonathan Greenard, under Turner’s guidance, led the SEC in both sacks (9.5) and tackles for loss (15.5) despite missing time with an ankle injury. At Missouri on Nov. 16, Greenard totaled five tackles for loss (including two sacks) -- UF’s highest single-game total since Alex Brown had five TFLs (all sacks) against Tennessee on Sept. 18, 1999. Greenard followed it up with three TFLs (all sacks) in a win over Florida State.

UF was the only SEC team featuring more than six players with at least 3.0 sacks, a total eight Gators reached. Another four Gators had 2.0 sacks this year -- Jonathan Greenard - 9.0; Zachary Carter, Mohamoud Diabate - 4.5; James Houston IV, Adam Shuler - 3.5; Ventrell Miller, Jeremiah Moon, Jabari Zuniga - 3.0; Khris Bogle - 2.5; Trey Dean III, David Reese II, Tedarrell Slaton - 2.0.
 
UTSA (2018), Texas A&M (2016-17)
Turner helped coordinate a defense that totaled 78 tackles-for-a loss for 250 yards and 23 sacks for 140 yards. Meanwhile, in College Station, Texas, he coached the defensive tackles and was the defensive run game coordinator where he guided Myles Garrett to becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
 
Garrett became the Aggies first No. 1 overall pick when the Cleveland Browns selected him. He is the highest NFL Draft pick in school history, surpassing the previous best of No. 2 overall by five Aggies.
 
Garrett, under the direction of Turner, became the ninth player in school history to earn unanimous first-team All-America honors in 2016, and he also was a finalist for the Bednarik and Rotary Lombardi Awards. He led the Aggies with 8.5 quarterback sacks and 15.0 tackles for loss in 2016 and also contributed two forced fumbles and 10 QB hurries during his final collegiate season.
 
Mississippi State (2013-15)
Turner’s defensive fronts at MSU earned a reputation for being consistently disruptive and putting pressure on the opposing quarterback. Over his final two seasons in Starkville, Miss., the Bulldogs piled up over 180 tackles for loss, including 68 quarterback sacks. In 2015, the Bulldogs set a school record with 98 tackles for loss, while the 2014 unit produced 37 sacks, which ranked No. 2 in the SEC and were the third-most in school history.
 
In 2014, when Turner helped Mississippi State to its first 10-win season since 1999 and a berth in the Orange Bowl, the Bulldogs defense produced the second-most sacks (37) in the SEC and was the nation’s No. 1 red zone defense, as opponents scored on just 63.64 percent of their chances in the red zone.
 
Under Turner’s tutelage, senior Preston Smith had a career year in 2014, racking up a team-best nine sacks and 15 tackles for loss.
 
In his first season back at Mississippi State in 2013, Turner helped lead one of the best defenses in the SEC, ranking among the SEC’s top five in total defense (fourth - 349.3 yards per game) and rushing defense (fourth – 144.2 yards per game). During the last three games of that season, MSU allowed just 11.3 points per game, including two contests that featured overtime stands.
 
Kentucky (2010-12)
Turner helped the Wildcats defense improve in tackles for loss, sacks and rushing yards allowed from the year prior to his hire. The Wildcats improved their sacks-per-game average each season under Turner’s watch, posting more than two per game in 2012.
 
Mississippi State (2007-09)
In his first season at MSU, he helped the Bulldogs to their first postseason appearance in seven years, a championship of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.  Three of his linemen, second-team All-SEC performer Titus Brown, Jesse Bowman and Cortez McCraney, went on to sign NFL contracts.
 
Turner recruited, signed and tutored future NFL standouts and early-round draft picks Pernell McPhee and Fletcher Cox in 2009.
 
Alabama (2006), Vanderbilt (2002-05)
During his lone campaign in Tuscaloosa, UA finished 23rd nationally in total defense in 2006. Meanwhile, during his three seasons in Nashville, Turner served as the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Vanderbilt.
 
One of his linemen, tackle Jovan Haye, went on to the NFL. Vanderbilt had a significant upgrade in talent level during Turner’s term as recruiting coordinator as he helped bring in the players for the Commodores’ eventual Music City Bowl championship in 2008.
 
Minnesota (2001), Virginia (1997-2000), NC State (1995-96), Kentucky (1993-94),  James Madison (1991-92), Indiana U. of Pennsylvania (1990), NC State (1988-89), Davidson (1986-87)
A native of Goldston, N.C., Turner also has worked in the Big Ten Conference at Minnesota, where he worked with the defensive ends, and in the Atlantic Coast Conference at Virginia, where he coached defensive tackles and linebackers. He also was co-special teams coordinator in his final season. The Cavaliers played in the Peach Bowl, Micronpc.com Bowl and the Oahu Classic during his term there.
 
Turner began his collegiate coaching career in 1986 as an assistant at his alma mater, Davidson College. He worked with the running backs and tight ends over a two-year stretch. In 1988, he moved to North Carolina State, serving two years as a defensive graduate assistant. He worked with a Wolfpack unit that ranked first in the ACC in total defense in 1988 while playing in the Peach Bowl and Copper Bowl.
 
He spent one year as the defensive line coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, helping the team to a 12-2 overall record while reaching the Division II national championship game. He also worked two seasons at James Madison, helping the Dukes to a 9-4 record and a berth in the 1991 Division I-AA playoffs.
 
Turner returned to the Division I-A ranks in 1993. He spent two seasons as defensive ends coach at Kentucky, where he helped the Wildcats advance to the ‘93 Peach Bowl. In 1995, he went back to NC State, coaching defensive ends and linebackers before going to Virginia in ‘97.
 
Background
Turner, who graduated from Davidson in 1985 with a degree in sociology, is married to the former Yvette Modica and the couple has two daughters, Bianca and Alexyia.
 
Coaching History

Seasons	School/Team	Title/Position Coached
2019-Present	Florida	Defensive Line
2018	UTSA	Defensive Line
2016-18	Texas A&M	Run Defense Coordinator / Defensive Tackles
2013-15	Mississippi State	Defensive Line
2010-12	Kentucky	Defensive Line
2007-09	Mississippi State	Defensive Line
2006	Alabama	Defensive Ends
2002-05	Vanderbilt	Recruiting Coordinator / Defensive Line
2001	Minnesota	Defensive Ends
1997-2000	Virginia	Defensive Tackles / Linebackers
1995-96	NC State	Defensive Tackles / Linebackers
1993-94	Kentucky	Defensive Ends
1991-92	James Madison	Assistant Coach
1990	Indiana U. of Pennsylvania	Defensive Line
1998-89	NC State	Graduate Assistant
1987	Davidson	Linebackers
1986	Davidson	Running Backs / Tight Ends

 
Postseason History

Season	Bowl Game	Opponent	Result
2020	Cotton Bowl (Florida)	Oklahoma	L, 55-20
2020	SEC Championship (Florida)	Alabama	L, 52-46
2019	Capital One Orange Bowl (Florida)	Virginia	W, 36-18
2017	Belk Bowl (Texas A&M)	Wake Forest	L, 55-52
2016	Texas Bowl (Texas A&M)	Kansas State	L, 33-28
2015	Belk Bowl (Mississippi State)	NC State	W, 51-28
2014	Orange Bowl (Mississippi State)	Georgia Tech	L, 49-34
2013	Liberty Bowl (Mississippi State)	Rice	W, 44-7
2011	BBVA Compass Bowl (Kentucky)	Pitt	L, 27-10
2007	Liberty Bowl (Mississippi State)	UCF	W, 10-3
2006	Independence Bowl (Alabama)	Oklahoma State	L, 34-31
2000	Oahu Bowl (Virginia)	Georgia	L, 37-14
1999	Micronpc.com Bowl (Virginia)	Illinois	L, 63-21
1998	Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (Virginia)	Georgia	L, 35-33
1993	Peach Bowl (Kentucky)	Clemson	L, 14-13
1989	Copper Bowl (NC State)	Arizona	L, 17-10
1988	Peach Bowl (NC State)	Iowa	W, 28-23

NFL Players (Round Drafted)
DT Tedarrell Slaton (5th) - Florida '21 - Green Bay Packers
DE Jabari Zuniga (3rd) - Florida '20 - New York Jets
DE/LB Jonathan Greenard (3rd) - Florida '20 - Houston Texans
DT Kingsley Keke (5th) – Texas A&M ’19 – Green Bay Packers
DT Daylon Mack (5th) – Texas A&M ’19 – Baltimore Ravens
DT Chris Jones (2nd) – Mississippi State ’16 – Kansas City Chiefss  
DE Preston Smith (2nd) – Mississippi State ’15 – Washington Redskins  
DT Josh Boyd (5th) – Mississippi State ’13 – Green Bay Packers
DT Fletcher Cox (1st) – Mississippi State ’12 – Philadelphia Eagles  
DE Pernell McPhee (5th) – Mississippi State ’11 – Baltimore Ravens
DE Javon Hoye (6th) – Vanderbilt ’05 – Carolina Panthers
DE Greg White (7th) – Minnesota ’02 – Houston Texans
DT Monsanto (7th) – Virginia ’02 – Denver Broncos
DE Patrick Kerney (1st) – Virginia ’99 – Atlanta Falcons
DT Antonio Dingle (7th) – Virginia ’99 – Pittsburgh Steelers
 
Personal Information
Education: 1985 - Bachelor’s from Davidson
Wife: Yvette
Children: Bianca, Alexyia