Since taking the helm of the San Jose State softball program in 2007, Peter Turner has established himself as the winningest coach in program history, and is a two-time conference Coach of the Year honoree.
In 11 seasons, Turner has compiled a 323-291 (.526) record. He is the only softball coach in program history to reach 250 (vs. Utah State – April 17, 2015) and then 300 career victories (vs. UC Davis - March 9, 2017).
In 2013, he guided the Spartans to a Western Athletic Conference (WAC) championship and in 2017 did the same in the Mountain West Conference (MWC), capping those seasons with bids to the NCAA Softball Tournament and the 2017 squad won the program’s first postseason game, a 3-0 victory over Cal State Fullerton.
In the four seasons San José State has competed in the Mountain West, Turner’s teams have made steady progress. SJSU finished in fifth place in 2014, third in 2015 and second in 2016. His team’s Mountain West championship in 2017 earned Turner his second conference Coach of the year honor and his first in the MWC.
In addition to Turner's 2017 MW Coach of the Year honor, six Spartans earned 2017 All-Mountain West selection, four were honored as MW Player or Pitcher of the Week and pitcher Katelyn Linford earned NFCA Division I All-Pacific Region and All-America honors.
Turner’s players have rewritten the program’s record book holding 10 career offensive records and sitting in first or second place in 13-of-18 offensive categories.
His 2013 club was the most successful in San José State history. The most improved NCAA postseason team since 2011, in wins and RPI, the Spartans won both the WAC regular season and Tournament championships. The team set the school records for wins (42), saves (17) and fewest errors (56).
Additionally, two players set, at the time, seven single-season records - slugging percentage, on-base percentage, walks; strikeouts per seven-innings, wins, saves, and total strikeouts and five career records - walks; strikeouts per seven-innings, wins, saves, and total strikeouts.
Alongside Turner's 2013 WAC Coach of the Year honor, Amanda Pridmore earned WAC Pitcher of the Year, as well as the WAC Tournament MVP and was the program's first NFCA Division I All-Pacific Region honoree since 2005. Four Spartans were All-WAC performers, eight received WAC Player of the Week selection, and two were All-WAC Tournament Team honorees.
Since coming to SJSU, Turner has produced 30 all-conference performers, 19 in the Mountain West alone. Academically, his student-athletes have received academic all-conference distinction 94 times, seven NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete awards, five CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII selections and one CoSIDA Academic All-America honoree.
Turner came to San José State after spending four seasons, 2003-06, as the head women's softball coach at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, Calif. With the Mustangs, he compiled a 99-30 record. His 2005 team won the Big 8 Conference championship and finished fourth in the state tournament. In 2006, the Mustangs took fifth place in the state.
Turner was also an accomplished coach for the USA Softball Men's National Team, which he led from 2003 to 2013. His clubs earned a berth in the 2009 International Softball Federation (ISF) Men's World Championships, finished as runners-up at the 2007 ISF World Cup in Prague, Czech Republic, finished fourth at the 2006 VII Pan American Men's Softball Qualifier and, at the Pan American Games, Turner coached the 2003 team to a silver medal and the 2002 team to a gold medal.
A 10-time American Softball Association (ASA) All-American as a player, Turner played in 13 ASA National Championships, five U.S. Olympic Festivals and was part of the 1995 silver medalist team at the Pan American Games.
Turner is a member of two halls of fame having been inducted in the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Stockton (Calif.) Softball Hall of Fame in 1998.
He played baseball at Pacific before transferring to Sacramento State, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in social science in 1989. Turner received a master’s degree in business administration from Hamilton University in 1999.
CAREER COACHING RECORD (San José State)
| Year | W-L | Pct. |
| 2007 | 23-28 | .451 |
| 2008 | 26-35 | .426 |
| 2009 | 19-37 | .339 |
| 2010 | 34-25 | .576 |
| 2011 | 19-35 | .352 |
| 2012 | 28-28 | .500 |
| 2013 | 42-17 | .712 |
| 2014 | 30-24 | .556 |
| 2015 | 37-19 | .661 |
| 2016 | 28-24 | .538 |
| 2017 | 37-19 | .661 |
| Total | 323-291 | .526 |
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Two-time conference Coach of the Year (2013 & 2017)
Head coach of USA Softball Men's National Team (2003-2013)
Inducted into the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame (2007)
Inducted into the Stockton (Calif.) Softball Hall of Fame (1998)
Coached the USA Softball Men's National Team to a birth in the 2009 ISF Men's World Championship, a silver medal in the 2003 Pan Am Games and a gold medal in the 2002 Pan Am Games qualifier
10-time ASA All-America selection
Participated in five US Olympic Festivals and was a member of the 1995 Pan Am Games silver medal winn team
Played in 13 ASA national championships