Upper Iowa University Athletics

H.A. "Sam" Turner received his B.S. from Upper Iowa University in 1948. He lettered four times in football and basketball and twice in basketball. In 1946, he was the team captain of the football team that won the conference championship. They were undefeated and untied, making them just one in seven teams to do that in the United States that year. Turner was named an All-Conference quarterback twice and earned an honorable mention selection as a Little All-American.

He also found success of the baseball team, which won the 1947 conference championship. His years at UIU were interrupted by 33 months of service in the U.S. Army however. He was a P.O.W. in Germany and was awarded two Purple Hearts.

After graduation, Turner coached at Prospect Valley, CO; Calumer City, IL; and Branson, MO. He has been the Athletic Director at Branson for the past 10 years. In Colorado, he started their football program in 1948 with an 11-man team. In 1950, the conference had switched to 6-man teams and by 1958 the state went to eight-man teams. He had only one losing season and was in the state playoffs five times. In 1958, they lost in the first state 8-man championship. After 22 years as head basketball coach, he had one losing season, finishing with a record of 367 wins and 158 losses.

Turner has been head baseball coach at the Branson High School since 1958.  He and his wife, Mary, have three daughters.