Justin Turri to Lead St. John’s Lacrosse Program

QUEENS, N.Y. – A two-time All-American and national champion at Duke with nearly a decade of experience in the collegiate coaching ranks at Michigan, Harvard, Army and Providence, Justin Turri has been tabbed as the fourth head coach in the history of the St. John's men's lacrosse program.

"I am extremely grateful for this opportunity and would like to thank Mike Cragg and the entire St. John's athletic community for welcoming me into their family," said Turri. "St. John's is a highly regarded University and the athletic department has a longstanding tradition of excellence. I am humbled to now be part of this community and excited for the challenge of helping the program reach new heights in the BIG EAST and beyond."

Turri comes to Queens after spending four seasons as an assistant coach and offensive coordinator at the University of Michigan, where he helped the Wolverines turn in one of the country's top offensive outputs this past season. Michigan finished third in the Big Ten and 11^th nationally in scoring offense, netting 14.1 goals per contest. The Wolverines also ranked among the top 10 in Division I for assists per game (8.6- 8^th), man-up offense (.500- 5^th) and opponent clear percentage (.801- 9^th).

"Throughout the search process to identify our next head coach, it became clear that Justin Turri is an up-and-coming star in the industry," said Director of Athletics Mike Cragg. "We look forward to his leadership in building St. John's Lacrosse into a BIG EAST contender and national power. Justin's recruiting prowess, local ties and experience at highly touted college programs will only help to serve our current and future student-athletes."

While in Ann Arbor, Turri mentored attackman Josh Zawada, a two-time All-Big Ten honoree and USILA Honorable Mention All-American who set the program records for points (77), goals (43) and assists (34) this past spring. Zawada ranked third in the conference and eighth nationally with 5.13 points per game, helping the Wolverines climb as high as no. 13 in both the Inside Lacrosse and USILA Coaches polls on March 7 following a 7-0 start.

"Justin is truly one of the brightest young minds in the collegiate landscape," said Michigan Head Coach Kevin Conry. "We were fortunate here at Michigan to have him play such a big role in the maturation of our program. As a Michigan lacrosse family, we wish Justin, Rachel and the boys best of luck."

In 2021, the Wolverines played exclusively against Big Ten opponents, facing a ranked team in seven of their 10 regular season contests, including four outings against top-eight foes. Despite the fierce competition, Michigan still managed to finish eighth nationally in man-up percentage, converting on 44.4 percent of its extra-man opportunities.

During the abbreviated 2020 campaign, Michigan went 4-3 and ranked inside the top 25 nationally in both scoring offense (13.29- 23^rd) and man-up offense (.517- 15^th). The Wolverines proved exceptional at valuing possession, leading the Big Ten and ranking fourth nationally with only 13.7 turnovers per game.

His first season with the Wolverines in 2019 included a trip to Queens, where Michigan picked up a 16-11 win over St. John's at DaSilva Memorial Field.

While at Michigan, Turri helped compile four consecutive top-15 recruiting classes, including the nation's third-best class in 2020.

Turri arrived at Michigan after spending the 2018 season at Harvard, where he helped guide the Crimson to a 7-1 start and saw the team rise as high as no. 19 in the Maverik Media Poll. During his one campaign in Cambridge, Turri helped attackman Morgan Cheek earn USILA Honorable Mention All-America honors after recording 59 points on 25 goals and 34 assists. A selection to the watch list for the Tewaarton Award, Cheek was drafted by the Charlotte Hounds in the third round of that year's Major League Lacrosse Draft.

Before joining the staff at Harvard, Turri was an assistant coach at Army for three seasons. During his first year with the program in 2015, Turri helped Army rise as high as no. 9 in the country, fall one win shy of a Patriot League title and finish the regular season ranked inside the top 20 of the national polls. Three Cadets were tabbed as USILA All-Americans that season, as John Glesener earned a spot on the All-America Third Team while Sam Somers and Austin Schultz claimed honorable mention selections.

"St. John's men's lacrosse got an absolute winner in hiring Justin Turri," said Army Head Coach Joe Alberici. "Justin is going to do a tremendous job of recruiting talent to St. John's and developing players. He is intelligent, hard working and a true professional. I could not be happier for Justin and his family as they embark on this new phase of his career."

Army went 10-7 and cracked the national rankings for the second straight year in 2016, again advancing to the Patriot League Championship game.

During Turri's final season on staff at West Point in 2017, the Black Knights turned in a record of 12-4 and made a third consecutive trip to the Patriot League title game. Army peaked at no. 8 in the national polls and capped its season with an overtime victory over No. 4 Notre Dame in front of 12,233 fans at Michie Stadium. At the conclusion of that campaign, three Cadets earned Honorable Mention All-America honors from the USILA: Cole Johnson, David Symmes and Johnny Surdick.

Turri began his collegiate coaching career in the BIG EAST, spending the 2014 campaign as a volunteer assistant at Providence.

Turri carries a playing pedigree that is unmatched by most coaches in the collegiate game. A two-time USILA All-American at Duke, Turri advanced to Championship Weekend four times during his five years in Durham, highlighted by the 2010 National Championship. A USILA Second Team All-American in 2011 before earning an honorable mention spot in 2012, Turri was a part of three ACC Championship squads and served as a team captain for his final two seasons in 2011 and 2012.

"I can think of no finer individual to represent the St. John's Athletic family than Justin Turri," said Duke Head Coach John Danowski. "A Long Island native whose character and commitment to living an extraordinary life is already well documented. Justin knows what it takes to balance academics and athletics. His experiences at Duke, Providence, Harvard, Army and Michigan have prepared him well to take the next step in his professional life."

After graduating from Duke, Turri embarked on a nine-year professional career spanning MLL and the Premier Lacrosse League. A 2014 MLL All-Star, Turri won the league's most improved player award that season and was a two-time MLL Finalist with the Rochester Rattlers.

"Justin is going to be a great addition to the St. John's lacrosse program," said Kieran McArdle, a three-time All-America selection and St. John's all-time points leader. "We competed against one another as professionals and I've seen first-hand what an incredible competitor and leader he is. I also know he has what it takes to make a positive impact on the program and players, so this is an exciting time for St. John's Lacrosse."

Turri graduated from Duke with a bachelor's in economics in 2011 before earning a Master of Management Studies degree from the university's prestigious Fuqua School of Business the following year. Turri spent two years as a sports finance analyst before beginning his coaching career.

A Long Island native, Turri was part of a powerhouse program at West Islip High School that won back-to-back New York State Class A Championships in 2006 and 2007.

"I would like to salute the Men's Lacrosse Search Committee for their tremendous work in our national search for a new head coach," said Cragg. "Thank you to committee chairs Kathy Meehan and Doug Trani, as well as Matt Bernstein, John DeTommaso, Tricia Fratta, Joanne Persico, Fr. Richard Rock and Paul Sclafani for the countless hours they dedicated to this thorough process."

Turri is married to Rachel Janasek Turri, a former tennis star at Loyola Maryland. The couple has three young children- William (1) and infant twins Matthew and David.

Turri has two younger brothers, Wade and Kyle, the latter of whom was a teammate of Justin's at Duke and currently serves as the defensive coordinator for the Hobart College men's lacrosse program.

St. John's University Athletics

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