Mike Turk enters his second season as an assistant coach with the Illinois State track & field program. Turk leads the men’s and women’s throws groups and has served in the role since September 2023.

In his first season with the Redbirds, he helped lead the throwers to success as Turk guided 14 student-athletes to All-Valley Honors, three NCAA West Preliminary Round Qualifiers, and helped Amiri Buchanan qualify for the NCAA Championship Meet.

Prior to joining Illinois State, Turk spent one year as the throws coach at Eastern Illinois where he assisted the Panthers to a 2023 Men’s Indoor Ohio Valley Conference Title. During his tenure, athletes posted eight top-10 marks in Eastern Illinois program history.

Before his time at Eastern Illinois, he served as the Director of Track & Field/Cross Country for three seasons at Illinois. He was promoted to the role after previously serving as the program’s head coach from 2012-19. Turk also served as the program’s interim head coach for the 2010 and 2011 seasons after coaching in an assistant role from 2006-09.

Illinois found success under Turk as the Fighting Illini claimed the 2015 Outdoor Big Ten Championship, while also finishing 10th at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships. The Fighting Illini also claimed runner-up finishes in back-to-back indoor seasons in 2014 and 2015. Under Turk’s guidance, four individuals claimed NCAA Titles, 73 earned All-American honors, and 37 individual and relay Big Ten Conference Championships. 

In his time with the Fighting Illini, Turk was a two-time NCAA’s Midwest Region Outdoor Coach of the Year in back-to-back years in 2014 and 2015. He also earned the Big Ten Outdoor Coach of the Year Award in 2015.

Before his stop in Champaign, Turk spent five years on staff at Western Michigan, including serving as the Broncos' head coach for the 2003-04 season. Turk previously worked as an associate head coach for the 2002 season, after serving in an assistant coach role from 1999-2001. Turk also coached in an assistant role at Marquette from 1990-98.

Prior to beginning his coaching career, Turk competed as a student-athlete at Augustana College where he was a CCIW Conference Champion in shot put in 1984. Turk graduated and received a bachelor’s degree from Augustana in Physical Education in 1985.