EWING, N.J. – Longtime TCNJ women's soccer assistant coach Bob Turner will be inducted into the iconic Mercer County Soccer Hall of Fame.

Turner, who helped legendary head coach Joe Russo start the women's soccer program at TCNJ (then Trenton State) and built it into a national powerhouse, will be honored alongside his fellow inductees on April 2 at the Hibernian Club.  

Known to most as "Coach T," Turner has made his mark on the local soccer community at a number of levels. Following a standout playing career at Pennington High School and collegiately at the University of Miami, Turner returned to the area and helped to lead the Olympic Development Program (ODP) to three national championships during a 16-year run, also guiding numerous players to participation on youth national teams.

For his work with local girls soccer, Turner was enshrined in the New Jersey Youth Soccer Hall of Fame in 2012.

Turner and Russo came together to build the TCNJ women's soccer program from the ground up In 1990. Three years later, the Lions were national champions, the first of three NCAA titles for the program. Under Russo and Turner, TCNJ won 556 games and made 14 Final Four appearances, including this fall's run to the NCAA championship game.

Now, Turner takes his place among the area's greats alongside a class that includes Dick Bartlett, Nicole Dennion, Kobie Johnson, Sam Maira, Bob Turner, Rob Tartaglia and three high school teams — Lawrence, St. Anthony and Steinert — that all won state titles in 1973.

The event will be held on April 2 at the Hibernian Club, beginning with cocktails at 5 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m. Tickets are $60.00 and can be purchased by contacting Bruce Angebranndt at 609-731-5906 or by email at bruce@mercercountysoccerhof.com.