Anchorage – The UAA men’s basketball program has turned to a familiar face to be its next leader, as acting athletic director Tanya Pont announced Tuesday that Cameron Turner has been hired as the Seawolves’ head coach.

A UAA assistant from 2011-17, Turner returns north after an impressive stint at Eastern Arizona College, where he lifted the two-year program to new heights on both the women’s and men’s sides.

“We are thrilled to welcome Cameron Turner back to Anchorage as the next head coach of the Seawolves,” Pont said. “Throughout his previous stint at UAA and his head coaching career at Eastern Arizona, he has proven to be a winner on and off the court. In addition to his outstanding win/loss ledger, he has been a great recruiter and developer of talent, while also proving to be a mentor to his student-athletes. We are confident Coach Turner will continue the tradition of success here at UAA and produce a championship-caliber program.”

As the men’s coach at EAC for the past four years, Turner accumulated a 95-32 (.748) record, leading the Gila Monsters to back-to-back Arizona Community College Athletic Conference and NJCAA Region I championships in 2023-24 and 2024-25.

The 2024-25 season was a historic one for EAC, going 29-4 overall and 16-2 in the ACCAC, and capturing the program’s first consecutive titles in 20 years. The Monsters’ 28 NJCAA wins that year were third-most in the nation, while the team ranked third nationally in net efficiency.

“My family and I are thrilled to return to Alaska and the University of Alaska Anchorage, a place that holds deep meaning for us,” Turner said. “I am honored to take over the program from Coach (Rusty) Osborne, who has been a mentor and a friend throughout my career. Becoming the head men’s basketball coach at UAA is a dream realized. I’m grateful to Eastern Arizona College for the opportunity to lead and grow as a head coach, which has prepared me for this moment. UAA has a proud and storied tradition, and I’m excited to build on that legacy. Our focus will be on developing high-character student-athletes, competing at a championship level, and elevating the program to new heights.”

Before earning back-to-back ACCAC and Region I Coach of the Year honors on the men’s side, Turner spent five years building the EAC women’s program from the ground up into national contenders. After taking over a five-win program his first year, he got the Monsters to 21 victories and an NJCAA runner-up finish two seasons later, and led his final two teams to a combined 44-8 mark and top-25 national rankings. The 2020-21 EAC squad went 17-3 and won the NJCAA regional and district titles as Turner captured ACCAC and Region I Coach of the Year accolades, while the 2021-22 team was region runner-up, going 27-5 overall.

Turner has also prioritized academics and player development. His 2025-26 squad posted a 3.53 team GPA – its fourth straight year over 3.30 – and earned First Team NJCAA Academic All-American honors, including three players with perfect 4.0 GPAs. Under Turner’s leadership, the program boasted a 100 percent sophomore graduation rate, 100 percent athletic scholarship placement, and eight Academic All-Americans.

Turner came to UAA as a graduate assistant in 2011 and quickly rose to the top assistant role on Rusty Osborne’s UAA staff, helping the Seawolves to a 116-60 record in his six seasons. In addition to recruiting former stars like Suki Wiggs and aiding the development of 2012 NCAA National Player of the Year Taylor Rohde, he coached 14 all-conference players and helped UAA to top-4 Great Northwest Athletic Conference finishes in each of his campaigns.

Prior to his first stint at UAA, the Oregon native Turner founded the AAU program Willamette Reign, which placed 53 athletes into college basketball. He also previously coached future NBA all-star Kevin Love at the high school level.

Turner earned his bachelor’s degree in criminology from Southern Oregon University in 2004. He is married to Elisabeth, and they have two daughters, Cora and Iris.

Turner becomes the seventh head coach in UAA history and only the third since 1994, succeeding Osborne, who announced his retirement Feb. 23.

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