CHAMPAIGN — Tim Turner could hardly wait for Monday’s Unit 4 Board of Education meeting to come and go.The longtime Champaign Central football assistant had a personal stake in this particular gathering. But it had to be kept under wraps prior to board discussion.
“I’m just so fired up,” Turner said ahead of the meeting. “I’m ready to scream at the top of my lungs about it because I feel there’s some special things to come.”
Well, Turner now can shout to his heart’s content. He’s the next Central football head coach.
The board confirmed his appointment Monday after an extensive interview process that began when Nate Albaugh abdicated the post following the 2017 season.
A field of 26 applicants was whittled down to 10, and then four. Two in-house candidates emerged, with Turner one of them.
Ultimately, the man who has stuck around under four different Maroon football leaders is getting his chance to direct the program.
“I rejoiced (when I was chosen). This is one of the top jobs in the state of Illinois,” Turner said. “When Coach Albaugh decided to resign, I was always planning on applying and hoping the job would be mine.”
Turner has served the Central football squad for 11 seasons, including the last four as head assistant. He watched his son, Tim, compete for the Maroons before graduating in 2013. And he works at Central as the Individual Learning Center supervisor.
That last part was especially important to athletic director John Woods while conducting the search for a new football coach.
“Tim is in the building. That was a big factor,” Woods said. “His body of work up until now really stood out.”
Woods said the hiring process for this position, as well as other coaching spots at Central, is a strenuous one. For example, he and others on the search committee peppered the final four football candidates with numerous queries in a short period of time.
Through that concept, Woods became even more certain Turner was his guy.
“What have you done to prepare yourself to be the next coach?” Woods asked, mimicking the question-and-answer setup. “If you can’t influence as an assistant, you’re not all the sudden going to be a person of influence as a head coach. Tim’s been running our weightlifting program. He’s been running all of our offseason stuff (since Albaugh’s departure). He’s following kids’ grades. He’s talking to them.
“He’s doing the day-to-day stuff to help grow and develop teenagers into young men.”
Turner takes control of a program that has experienced two straight playoff misses, including a 2-7 campaign last season. The Maroons most recently qualified for the postseason in 2015, when they advanced to a Class 5A state semifinal game.
Turner’s first goal is to “re-recruit” those who played for Central in 2017, while also trying to add youngsters who can make a further impact.
“I think the big picture is to get as many of our Central athletes out there on the field,” Turner said. “There are some fantastic athletes walking the halls that aren’t playing football.”
Turner said his coaching style focuses on building strong relationships, adding he doensn’t like to utilize a lot of yelling on or off the gridiron. He also noted he’ll be looking both within and beyond Central’s doors to fill his staff prior to summer practices.
As far as any concerns about athletes not adjusting to their new leader, Woods said those are minimal to nonexistent.
“I’m sure there’s not one kid on our current roster who doesn’t know who Tim Turner is,” Woods said. “Tim’s a well-liked guy, and I don’t think that’s going to change just because his role, title and position have changed on our staff.”
For his part, Turner is ready to get down to business. The season may not officially start until Aug. 6 and the Maroons’ first game isn’t until Aug. 24 when Central plays Metamora at Tommy Stewart Field, but Turner has been preparing for this moment.
“I’ve worked on a lot of things the head coach will do,” he said. “I’ve been grooming myself to be a head coach, and specifically the head coach of this program.”
