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Coaching Fraternity Lauds Turner

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By KATHERINE SMITH

ksmith@tampatrib.com

Published: March 6, 2009

TAMPA - The first time Gaither coach Mark Kantor met Billy Turner, the legendary coach threatened to kick his butt.

During pregame warm-ups before a Gaither-Chamberlain game seven years ago, Turner struck up a conversation with Kantor in which he noted the amount of coaching turnover the Cowboys had endured the previous seasons.

Turner, who will announce his retirement today, wanted it to stop and for Kantor to provide stability, or else.

"He truly cared about the Gaither program," Kantor said. "The coaching fraternity is losing a coach that not only cared about his own kids, but every other kid in the county, too."

Plant coach Robert Weiner noted that during end-of-the-year awards meetings, Turner always stood when discussing his players.

"He would literally stand up for his kids and for every other kid in Hillsborough County," Weiner said. "Every kid always found they had a champion and an advocate in Billy Turner."

Hillsborough coach Earl Garcia first met Turner when he was 11. Turner was Garcia's fourth-grade physical education teacher. Several years later, Turner gave Garcia his first coaching job as an assistant at Hillsborough.

"I have learned so much from Billy," Garcia said. "Billy's forgotten more football than a lot of people know. He has a great mind and a great knack for football. He can see all 22 players on the field during a game, which is nearly impossible to do. He's so bright and loves the X's and O's."

Turner's legacy extends beyond the football field, where he became the first Hillsborough County coach to reach the 200-win mark.

"He's already got an award named after him," Kantor said. "People like Billy Turner only come around once in a lifetime. He's in the same classification as Lakeland's Bill Castle. He may not have the state championships, but a Billy Turner-coached football team was always coached right and coached hard."

Reporter Katherine Smith can be reached at (813) 259-7860.

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