Ricky Turner enters his 11th year on Samford’s football staff, his sixth as assistant head coach and fourth as offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach.
In 2023, Turner’s unit ranked second in the Southern Conference in total yards per game, averaging 424.8 yards per contest. The squad was third in the league in passing yards per game with an average of 286.7 per game. The offense ranked 7th nationally in passing offense and 16th in total offense.
Turner’s 2022 offense helped lead the team to its best season in over 30 years, posting a record of 11-2 overall and 8-0 in Southern Conference play, winning the program’s first outright SoCon title and reaching the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I-FCS Playoffs for the first time since 1991. Under Turner’s tutelage, wide receiver Chandler Smith was named first team All-SoCon, while Kendall Watson earned second team status.
For the previous four seasons, Turner served as the team’s special teams’ coordinator as well as coaching the running backs in the spring and fall of 2021 and the tight ends in the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
For the fall season of 2021, the Bulldogs led the Southern Conference in punt return average (15.2 ypr.) and PAT kicking (100%), and ranked second in the league in both kickoff coverage (41.5 net avg.) and field goals (86.7%). Samford was 2nd in the nation in punt return average and 24th in net punting.
That season, punt and kickoff returner Montrell Washington was named an All-American after leading the nation in all-purpose yards. Washington was selected in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos.
In the 2021 spring season, Samford’s special teams ranked second in the Southern Conference in punt return average and in kickoff coverage. The unit also produced a pair of All-SoCon team members.
Turner’s special teams unit led the nation in punt return average in 2019, averaging 19.41 yards per return. Punt returner Montrell Washington was named All-American by both STATS and HERO Sports.
In 2018, under Turner’s tutelage, Samford led the Southern Conference in PAT kicking, and ranked third in the league in field goals made. The team also ranked second in the SoCon in punt returns.
Turner spent the 2017 season as the program’s General Manager and the 2016 season as the Director of Football Operations, after serving the staff in a volunteer capacity in 2015.
Turner served the 2015 season on the Samford staff as the team’s special teams quality control coach and player personnel assistant. He was responsible for analyzing and breaking down opponent special teams film, assisting with the preparation of the special teams game plan each week and making practice schedules and scout cards. He also assisted with on-campus recruiting.
Prior to coming to Samford, Turner served as a football intern at Kennesaw State from January to May of 2015.
Turner also worked as a student assistant at the University of South Carolina from 2011 to 2014.
Turner is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, graduating Cum Laude from the school with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport and Entertainment Management.
Turner is married to the former Tara Goolsby.
