Kansas University. It was there that the
5’10” 140-pound point guard was given
the “tough talk” himself, one he admits
was bitt ersweet. “He told me that I
would never play in the NBA, but that I
would make a good coach. He changed
the whole course of my life.”
Turgeon counts himself lucky to have
had several mentors throughout
his basketball life. His father, Bob
Turgeon, started the Topeka Youth
Basketball program. His high school
coach, Ben Meseke, along with his
father, convinced him to go to Kansas
and play there where both Brown and
Roy Williams gave him his foundation
as a future coach. His coaching style
evolved and continued to change
after he had children of his own. He
developed more patience with his
players, realizing that he didn’t want
anyone yelling at his own kids one
day. Conversely, being a coach has
taught him a lot about being a father.

Raising 15 kids a year on the court has
meant that he has seen or heard almost
everything. It has made him a bett er
dad to his own boys and his daughter.

A Catholic with all three children in
Catholic schools, his team prays before
and after each game. Faith and family
are important to him. Even though his
parents divorced when he was young,
and both subsequently remarried,
together they sacrifi ced a lot for him
and his four siblings. He grew up in
a community of families with lots of
children who all looked after each other.

Even now, Turgeon’s extended family
vacations together, including all his
siblings and both his parents.

In the end, Turgeon hopes that his
players will think back on him with
the knowledge and acceptance that he
“made them bett er,” even when he was
“hard on them.” He has few regrets
from his life and career. “My biggest
regret is that I’ve never coached any of
my own kids,” although, he laughingly
admits that they probably wouldn’t
be big fans of the idea. While he has
many great memories as a player and
a coach, including Kansas winning the
NCAA Championship in 1988 when
he was a graduate assistant, he feels
his best memory hasn’t happened yet.

His goal on the court each day is to
“strengthen the one weakness” in each
of his players, and to teach them to be
good people who are humble about the
basketball talent they have been given.

However, both on and off the court, he
lives by example, and says, “I just want
to be known as a good person, a good
husband and a good father.”
Michelle Blanchard Ardillo is a middle
school language arts teacher and freelance
writer. Follow her on Twitt er or Goodreads
@michardillo. To read more of her writing,
see her website at michelleardillo.com.

DRIBBLES OF THIS AND THAT WITH MARK TURGEON
FAVORITE BOOK: “Coach Wooden’s
Pyramid of Success” by John Wooden
and Jay Carty.

into sales. She eventually won an
award and took me as her date to the
banquet. FAVORITE MOVIE: “The Shawshank
Redemption.” BEST CHILDHOOD MEMORY: As
a 20-year-old at Kansas University,
playing Duke University in the Final
Four with all my family there watching.

FAVORITE BOARD GAME: Monopoly,
because you can learn from it.

FAVORITE FOOD: Mexican.

FAVORITE DRINK: I gave up soda for
Lent, so for now, kombucha. It’s so
good for you.

FAVORITE NBA TEAM: Of course,
the Wizards, but also the Spurs and
any other team where I have former
players. BEST MEMORY AS A DAD: The day
each of my three children was born.

BEST MEMORY AS A COACH: When
my former player, Troy Mack was
named as “Teacher of the Year” in
Nebraska. BEST MEMORY AS A SON: After my
parents divorced, my mom went
12 June 2018
washingtonFAMILY.com SUPERSTITIONS? Yes, many, but one
thing I’ve done every day for 25 years is
put my shoes on the same way every
day, sitting on the side of the bed.

Whether I’m home or in a hotel, it’s
the same way. Why change anything?
Why screw it up?
JOB AFTER COACHING? I honestly
can’t see myself doing anything
else but coaching. It would be
nice to travel less. Maybe I
could work for the NBA
as a commentator,
although I can’t
really see myself
doing TV.