Dr David Turner

David’s areas of expertise are in sports coaching, the development of sports coaching expertise and coach education, learning from legendary coaches, and education more generally.

David is a qualified teacher (BEd in Movement Studies), has 40 years of experience working in education, and is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).

[email protected]

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Background

David joined ARU at the start of the 2021-22 academic year and is a member of the Cambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences (CCSES).

Immediately prior to that, he was a Course Leader for a PGCE Teacher Teaching Course at West Suffolk College, and before that he was a Lecturer in Sports Coaching at two other HE institutions, over a 20-year period.

Before that, he worked in further education, sports development, and as a physical education teacher. Alongside all of this, he has been a sports coach and fitness instructor.

Research interests

David's research interests are around the development of expertise, and learning journeys, in sports coaching and beyond.

Teaching

BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching and Physical Education.

• Talent Identification and Development
• Applied Performance Analysis
• Advanced Work Placement

Qualifications

• BEd Movement Studies, Avery Hill College of Education.
• Masters by Research, University of Luton.
• Educational Doctorate, University of Hertfordshire.

Selected recent publications

Turner, D. (in press). The social construction of Queens Park Rangers’ greatest season. Soccer and Society, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/14660970.2025.2558848

Turner D. 2025. Doctor Who? Reflecting Upon Regenerations of Educational Identity Utilising Autoethnography and the Method of Currere. Life Writing, pp.1-14, https://doi.org/10.1080/14484528.2025.2468211

Turner, D. 2023. Dear England: ‘feelgood’ Gareth Southgate play reviewed by a sports coaching expert. The Conversation.

Turner, D. 2023. Exploring the role of differential learning in the development and coaching of footballers. Football Medicine & Performance Publication, 44, pp.19-23.

Turner, D., 2023. Community sports coaching: policies and practice (book review). Sports Coaching Review, 12(3), pp.365-369.

Turner, D. & Jewiss, M. 2023. The Ashes: how England cricket’s head coach Brendon McCullum developed his ‘Bazball’ style. The Conversation.

Turner, D. 2023. A reflexive autoethnographic fragment – Epiphany in a milkfloat. European Journal of Life Writing, 12, pp.C1– C8.

Turner, D. (2017) 'The Extreme Phronesis of Percy Cerutty: A Narrativized Life History of a Legendary Sports Coach', International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 36(1).

Turner, D. (2017) 'Beyond ‘crude pragmatism’ in sports coaching: Insights from CS Peirce, William James, and John Dewey: A commentary', International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 12(1), pp. 26-29.

Recent presentations and conferences

Learning From Legendary Coaches – Joe Mazzulla: Rising Star, as part of Herts Coach Education Week, February 2025.

Learning From Legendary Coaches - Wenger, Mourinho, Guardiola: Revolution, Manipulation, Evolution, as part of Herts Coach Education Week, February 2024.

Learning From Legendary Coaches – “To Swim Against the Current of Your Circumstances: Soichi Sakamoto and Transcendence, hosted by Herts Sports Partnership, March 2023.

Learning From Legendary Coaches – Pat Summitt: A case study in the development of coach-athlete relationships. Invited guest lecture for Professor Sophia Jowett to MSc Sport and Exercise Psychology students at Loughborough University. February 2023.

Learning From Legendary Coaches – Pat Summitt: “Here’s How I’m Going to Beat you!”, hosted by Herts Sports Partnership, November 2022.

Learning From Legendary Coaches – The Ying and Yang of Thomas Tuchel, co-presented with Luke Georgiou, as part of Herts Coach Education Week, February 2022.

The Inner Game of Sports Team Coaching, at the Tim Gallwey Conference, Coaching for Self Belief, April 2019.

Media experience

Recent podcasts

20 June 2025 – The Great Coaches podcast – Bernhard Peters. Bernhard Peters - Great Coaches

29 May 2025 – The Great Coaches podcast - On Shared Wisdom with the Anglia Ruskin Students. On Shared Wisdom with the Anglia Ruskin University Students - Great Coaches

1 May 2025 – The Great Coaches podcast – On Joe Mazzulla. On Joe Mazzulla - The Great Coaches: Leadership & Life - Apple Podcasts

13 February 2025 – The Great Coaches podcast – Markus Weise. Markus Weise - Great Coaches

21 November 2024 – The Great Coaches podcast - On Pep Guardiola. On Pep Guardiola - The Great Coaches: Leadership & Life - Apple Podcasts

31 October 2024 – The Great Coaches podcast – On Athlete Coach Relationships. On Athlete Coach Relationships - The Great Coaches: Leadership & Life | Podcast on Spotify

6 August 2024 – These Football Times – On Following Southgate. Following Southgate ... - These Football Times - Apple Podcasts

11 June 2024 – The Great Coaches podcast – On Mourinho and Wenger. On Mourinho and Wenger–The Great Coaches: Leadership & Life – Apple Podcasts

10 June 2024 – These Football Times - Euros Revision: Michels, Netherlands and 1988. These Football Times / Euros Revision: Michels, Netherlands and 1988

8 June 2024 – These Football Times – Euros Revision: England 4-2 Croatia. These Football Times / Euros Revision: England 4-2 Croatia, Euro 2004

28 May 2024 – The Great Coaches podcast – On Legendary Coaches. On Legendary Coaches - Great Coaches

28 February, 2024 – These Football Times – Remembering Stan Bowles. Remembering Stan Bowles - These Football Times - Apple Podcasts

30 January 2024 – The Great Coaches podcast – On Serial Winning Coaches. On Serial Winning Coaches - Great Coaches

29 January 2024 – These Football Times – Jurgen Klopp Special. A Jürgen Klopp special–These Football Times – Apple Podcasts

2 December 2023 – These Football Times – A Tribute to Terry Venables and Everton’s 10-Point Deduction. These Football Times / A tribute to Terry Venables and Everton's 10-point deduction

2nd November 2023 – These Football Times - Get It On: How the 70s rocked football. These Football Times / Get It On: how the 70s rocked football (audioboom.com)

18th October 2023 – The Great Coaches podcast – On Turning Points with Dr David Turner. On Turning Points - Great Coaches (thegreatcoachespodcast.com)

12th October 2023 – These Football Times – The Mount Rushmore Debates: the 1970s. These Football Times / The Mount Rushmore Debates: the 1970s (audioboom.com)

18th September 2023 – These Football Times – Ange, McKenna, transformative coaches and more. These Football Times / Ange, McKenna, transformative coaches and more (audioboom.com)

13th September 2023 – These Football Times – Wrapping up a decade of 1970s football. These Football Times / Wrapping up a decade of 1970s football (audioboom.com)

12th September 2023 – Mental Muscle podcast (BBC Sport) – What can we learn from coaching legends? Mental Muscle - What can we learn from coaching legends? - BBC Sounds

14th August 2023 – These Football Times – A decade of 1970s football; the 1975/76 season. These Football Times / A decade of 1970s football: the 1975/76 season (audioboom.com)