SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.— Skidmore College named Jessica Turner head women's basketball coach. Turner recently competed her fifth season as an assistant coach at Middlebury College.
 
"We are excited to welcome Jess to Skidmore Athletics and look forward to her joining our campus community," Skidmore athletics director Gail Cummings-Danson said. "With a coaching philosophy that centers around the core values of leadership, dedication, development and trust, we know that the young women in our program will learn and grow under her guidance.
 
"With Jess's experience recruiting highly competitive academic and athletic student-athletes, we know that she will make an immediate impact on our program that has enjoyed so much success both on and off the court."
 
During Turner's five seasons at Middlebury, she helped guide the Panthers to 64 wins, four-consecutive trips to the NESCAC Tournament, as well as a #14 ranking in the 2016-2017 WBCA Division III Academic Top 25.  She also assisted in the recruitment of the 2016 NESCAC Rookie of the Year. 
 
On the court, Turner's primary duties at Middlebury included: player recruitment, organizing and directing camps, implementing scouts and film breakdown, coordinating travel arrangements, guard development as well as other daily operational duties.  Off the court, Jess was a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee in the Middlebury athletic department, and also assisted in overseeing game-day operations for various varsity athletic teams. 
Prior to Middlebury, Turner started her collegiate coaching career at Green Mountain College as an assistant coach for three seasons. She also coached for the Spartan AAU Program in Castleton, Vt. in 2012 and 2013.

A 2009 graduate of Castleton University, Turner (Jessica Banks) was a four-year standout for the Spartan basketball team. She was a three-time North Atlantic Conference (NAC) All-Conference selection, earning first-team honors her final two seasons. A two-time team Most Valuable Player, Turner is among the program's top-five career lists in both scoring (1,120) and assists (426).

"It is truly an honor to be selected as the next women's basketball coach at Skidmore," Turner said. "I am humbled and incredibly excited by this amazing opportunity!
 
"I would like to thank Gail Cummings-Danson and the hiring committee for providing me with this tremendous opportunity and for their confidence in my abilities.  I am thrilled to work with such a talented group of young women. It is a privilege to be a member of the Skidmore Community."
 
Turner takes over a program that went 18-10 last season, won the 2018 Liberty League title, and played in the NCAA tournament for the second time in program history.