BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Bowling Green State University gymnastics head coach Kerrie Turner is moving into the next chapter of her career to become a full-time administrator within the BGSU athletics department. She will be the new assistant AD for student-athlete services, as announced by director of athletics Derek van der Merwe.  

The search to identify BGSU's next gymnastics head coach will begin immediately.  

"During the process of evaluating the re-organization of our student-athlete services team this summer, Kerrie and I started discussing her interest in transitioning into an administrative role," said van der Merwe. "Over the years, she has led her programs with a comprehensive commitment to excellence in the classroom and in competition.  She has consistently pursued expanding the overall support of student-athletes through educational programming and support services. I could think of no better leader to add to our team to support the mission of providing academic and holistic development of all our student-athletes than Kerrie Turner." 

"I want to thank Derek Van der Merwe, Stacy Kosciak and Erik Hildebrand for this incredible opportunity to expand into a new role to serve the student-athletes at BGSU as the Assistant Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Services," said Turner. Throughout the past few years, I have had the opportunity to learn about various roles in athletics administration and I am thankful BGSU has allowed me to gain that experience, whether as serving as President of the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA), co-advising the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (S.A.A.C.) or taking part in development opportunities at BGSU and through the MAC and the NCAA. These experiences have informed my decision to take this step now." 

In her new role as Assistant AD for Student-Athlete Services, Turner will work with the Student-Athlete Services staff to provide academic support and serve as the academic lead for multiple teams. She will assist coaches, athletic administrators, university administrators, and faculty with all concerns related to the academic needs and overall development of the student-athlete. Additionally, Turner will be responsible for the creation of programming that will focus on a holistic educational approach for the student-athletes within areas such as Name, Image & Likeness, Diversity & Belonging, Career preparedness, Title IX, and Hazing Prevention education. 

In her 17 seasons at the helm of the program, Turner has mentored 12 Mid-American Conference individual champions and 27 NCAA regional qualifiers (from 15 gymnasts) including Jovannah East who became just the second Falcon in program history to appear at the NCAA National Championships in 2018, competing in the all-around.    

She was the 2013 MAC Coach of the Year and led the team to its first NCAA regional appearance in 25 years in 2016.  

"Perhaps the most challenging piece of this move, is the difficult decision to depart the role of head coach of the gymnastics program," said Turner. "I have loved my time leading and coaching the gymnastics program. It has been an absolute honor to coach amazing gymnastics student-athletes throughout the years. I have no doubt I will be at every meet cheering this talented team this season and beyond. 

"As I look towards this next step in my career, I am energized and excited to provide outstanding academic support and a holistic approach to student-athlete development. Having worked with student-athletes for over twenty years in collegiate coaching, I will look to use my ability to build strong relationships and partnerships with staff, campus partners and the student-athletes. Mentorship and leadership are key aspects of coaching and I have no doubt those areas will aid in building a strong academic support area along with a wide range of growth opportunities for the student-athletes. A student-centered approach will make the greatest impact and I am excited to use the skills I have gained over the years as a coach and apply them to this new role." 

Turner's athletes have earned three MAC Freshman of the Year honors and have also captured MAC Senior Gymnast of the Year and MAC Specialist of the Year awards. She has also coached six first-team All-MAC honorees. In the classroom, the Falcons have shined throughout Turner's tenure. Under her watch, Falcon gymnasts have been named Scholastic All-American 164 times, while 76 Falcons have earned Academic All-MAC status. In 2016, Lauren Feely was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-American women's at-large team. 

As an assistant at BGSU from 2003-07, Turner was an integral part in coaching seven Falcons to top-10 performances in program history on the balance beam and floor.    

Turner arrived at Bowling Green after serving as the head gymnastics coach at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh for three seasons (2001-2003). She was named WIAC Coach of the Year in 2003 while also working as an admissions counselor for the university.   Prior to Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Turner was an assistant coach at her alma mater, Ursinus College, from Oct. 1999 through March 2000.    

A native of Wilton, Conn., Turner was a gymnast for Ursinus from 1996-99 and was elected team captain during her junior and senior seasons. She earned a degree in exercise and sport science in May 1999.    

Turner is married to Dr. Adrian Turner, BGSU Associate Professor of Physical Education. The couple resides in Bowling Green with their daughter Mikayla.