March 18, 2009

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- - Union University head coach Ralph Turner, who led his team to the TranSouth Athletic Conference tournament championship this season, has been selected as the NAIA Division I Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

Turner accepted his award at the 72nd Annual Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship Tip-Off Banquet.

The Bulldogs, the number three seed in the tournament, are making their 10th national championship tournament appearance in Turner's 15 seasons. Earlier this year, on January 29, 2009, Turner registered his 350th career win versus Bethel (Tenn.) College, 97-68.

About the National Association of Basketball Coaches Located in Kansas City, Mo., the NABC was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently claims nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men's basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today's student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.com.