5… 4… 3… 2… 1… Buzzzzzzzzz! Demarco Turner with the game winning basket! Scarlets win! Wait, how is this possible? Isn’t he the new coach? Well, at one point Demarco Turner was a player on the court for East, but now, he’s the new coach of the boys’ basketball team. The East High School boys have a lot to look forward to this year with their new coach. Coach Turner comes from a similar background to many students from East. Turner grew up on the Eastside with a big family of three brothers and five sisters. Turner also spent time in Texas when he was in the military. But what made turner want to coach basketball? Coach Turner grew up knowing he wanted to be a basketball player. He had many coaches and mentors but none of them can compare to his favorite player and G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) Michael Jordan. Turner used to want to be like Jordan he wore the same number as Jordan in college and they even share the same birthday.

“There’s a ton of coaches and mentors that have played a significant impact on my career. I’d say the biggest influence on my continuing to play was the GOAT, Michael Jeffrey Jordan,” Turner said.

Outside of basketball, Turner has a very exciting life. He and his wife Sydney Turner have three kids and a dog and lots of nieces and nephews, so he always has something to do. Another thing Turner loves to do is outdoor activities, Turner loves to go camping, fishing, and overall, he lives a healthy lifestyle ¬including going to the gym a lot.
“Life outside of coaching. I’m married, we have 3 beautiful children, Lyla (7), Avianna (3) & DeMarco III (2). We’ve got a Doberman, Bruno (4), and a load of nieces and nephews. So, we’re always doing something it seems like every other weekend,” Turner said.

Turner has lots of goals for this season and for the upcoming seasons. This year turner wants to bring a more competitive atmosphere, he wants his players to lock into the system he’s going to bring and from there, he wants to make feeder programs to get future Scarlets to play basketball and stay healthy early.

“Long term goals would be to create our Future Scarlets basketball program, create more opportunities for our kids to stay active, competitive and enjoy the game,” Turner said.

This year coach Turner will take on many challenges as he’s a first-year coach at East. The biggest challenge he will have to face is breaking his players’ bad habits. Many Scarlet basketball players can’t play because of their grades and/or attendance. One of Turners biggest goals is to keep his players consistent and accountable.

“Creating a competitive atmosphere and identity. One thing you cannot coach is effort and we’ll need a lot of effort to create winning habits for ourselves ON/OFF the court. Establishing some mental toughness and a TEAM oriented environment. However, keeping them engaged and accountable in the classrooms, on the court will be how I plan to help overcome some of these,” Turner said.

Coach Turner is doing a lot to prepare him and his team for the upcoming season such as open gyms. These are important for building chemistry, and it helps him as a coach understand how the team works and who specializes in what.

“Our mindset is one percent better than it was yesterday. If we continue to get one percent better each day, I’m confident that will translate to a ton of good things on the hard wood,” Turner said.

Coach Turner brings a lot to East since he grew up on the Eastside and experienced East High School firsthand, so he knows better than most how to run the team. Turner can bring a new intensity that East has not seen in a long time. In fact, the last time there was this intensity from the boys’ basketball team was when Turner was one of the players.

“As a student that’s graduated from East, as a player who’s successfully won at East. You think the last time our boys’ program had a winning season or went to the state, was when I was still there. That’s a long time. I think someone who’s experienced their everyday struggles of being an inner-city kid, trying to escape the statistics and boundaries that are labeled. If you can relate to it, then it helps with translating it as well. I’ve played at a very high level both collegiately and professionally so having that experience and knowledge of the game, I hope will help some of these players buy in quicker and create a positive atmosphere within our locker room,” Turner said.

Coach turner wants his players to prepare for the season by holding each other accountable on and off the court. This will help them on and off the court because leadership comes on and off the court and if you can make sure your teammates are always doing the right thing, they will be less likely to miss time due to grades and attendance.

“Holding one another accountable individually & collectively. Standing out in the classrooms, hallways and on the court. Really thinking about what their individual goals and collective goals are as a team. Staying in the gym consistently and working on their crafts. Challenges themselves mentally and emotionally to be the best versions of themselves. These things will help them both in the classrooms and on the floor,” Turner said.