A former collegiate player at Rice and prep standout at Gilmer High School, Luke Turner is in his third season on the UTSA staff and second as assistant wide receivers coach.
In 2024, Turner helped guide the wide receivers to combine for 182 receptions for 2,265 yards and 14 touchdowns, as UTSA produced 5,882 total yards of offense, the third-best season tally in school history and an average of 451.2 yards per game, which ranked 12th in the FBS. The Roadrunners won four of their last five games, including a 44-15 victory over Coastal Carolina in the Myrtle Beach Bowl that capped a seven-win campaign. Devin McCuin paced the wide receivers with 45 receptions that turned into 424 yards and five touchdowns despite missing five games, while Willie McCoy racked up a team-best 536 receiving yards and four TDs on 28 catches, good for an average of 19.1 yards per catch. Chris Carpenter and David Amador II each posted 100-yard receiving games for the group.
In his first year with the Roadrunners, he served as an offensive assistant. UTSA registered a 9-4 overall record, a 7-1 mark for a third-place finish in their American Athletic Conference debut campaign and the program’s first bowl win with a 35-17 victory over Marshall in the 2023 Frisco Bowl. He assisted with the tight ends unit, as the group combined to catch 44 passes for 411 yards, paced by third-team all-conference tight end Oscar Cardenas’ 32 receptions for 280 yards and two touchdowns.
Turner was a versatile, four-year letterwinner at Rice from 2012 to 2015, helping the Owls to 30 wins, a conference championship and three bowl games. He finished his career with 503 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns to go with 244 receiving yards and three TDs. He also completed seven of 10 passes for 158 yards and five touchdowns, piled up 362 kickoff return yards with a long of 40 yards and punted six times for a 36.5-yard average with a long of 49. He also racked up 18 tackles and a fumble recovery during his 51-game career with the Owls.
He was the 2013 Conference USA Championship Game MVP after throwing a pair of touchdown passes and rushing for 49 yards on nine carries to help lead the Owls to a 41-24 win over Marshall. A Conference USA All-Freshman Team selection in 2012, he received the team’s George Martin Award (team MVP) in 2015 and the Bill Whitmore Award (most improved) in 2013.
He got his start in coaching in 2016 as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Gilmer High School. He was a graduate assistant at South Florida for the 2018 season, helping with the quarterbacks. He also was an the wide receivers/tight ends coach at Plano High School for the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Turner was a star player at Gilmer High School for current UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor. He helped guide the Buckeyes to a 43-7 record during his four years, including a state championship in 2009. He was Co-District 16-3A MVP and an all-district performer who passed for 3,972 yards and 40 touchdowns and ran for 1,896 yards and 40 more scores in his career. He also was an all-district shortstop in baseball.
The son of UTSA Football Chief of Staff Matt Turner, he earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in sports medicine in 2016.