Today's interviewee is Veterans coach Milan Turner, whose team upset then-No. 5 Houston County of Class AAAAAA 7-2 last week. That was Veterans' first victory over a top-five opponent. Turner led Veterans to an 8-3 finish in his first season last year. He is a former coach at Thomson and Emanuel County Institute, where he won region titles and one state championship.
Milan Turner, Veterans head coach
1. What did Friday's victory mean to your team and program, and how was the game won? Was the fact that your opponent is a county rival a factor in the significance of the win? "It was a huge win for our program, not only because it's a cross-town rival but also because we were coming off of a disappointing loss the prior week [to Statesboro]. Our coaches and players did a tremendous job of putting that one behind us and preparing for an incredibly talented Houston County team. I was extremely proud of our kids and how they showed great heart and fight throughout the game to get the win."
2. Why are all the schools in Houston County competitive if not really good? In most school districts, the better teams seem to suck the wind out of the weaker ones, but Houston is pretty strong top to bottom. What's different about Houston? "Our BOE and administration do everything they can to support and provide resources for all of our schools' extracurricular programs. Our community is incredibly supportive of all of our schools and programs as well. Also, we have some great coaches at all of our schools that do a great job preparing and mentoring kids." [Veterans, Houston County, Northside and Warner Robins have been ranked in the top-five of their classifications at some point this season. The fifth school, Perry, made the playoffs last season and is 2-2.]
3. You were head coach for nine seasons and won four region titles, then became an assistant for four seasons. I'm sure you could've been a head coach somewhere. Why did you step away from being a head coach? "I have been truly blessed to have won four region titles, a state runner-up in 2008 and a state championship in 2007 as a head coach. I stepped away because after going through some 'life storms' I felt like I needed to recharge my batteries. I had several opportunities to be a head coach, but the chance to coach at Coffee County as an assistant with Coach [Robby] Pruitt and his staff was a real blessing and exactly God's plan for my life."
4. What is the most underrated or overlooked aspect in building a winning program? "Wow, that's the million-dollar question. I think it's the ability to create a positive winning culture and then the ability to maintain that culture. You have to create, teach and demonstrate what that culture looks like daily in every part of the student-athlete's life. What is our culture and what does that look like in the weight room, classroom, practice field, at home and out in the community? Culture becomes a way of life. That culture becomes the foundation, and culture is not static. It's constantly evolving each day. To me, that's what's vital to building a winning program, and it's something that has be touched every day in your program."
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