WINNIPEG'S Gene Turk has stepped down as head coach of the Canadian men's squash team to devote more time to coaching his two teenage children in the sport.
Turk coached Canada to second place at the world team championships in 1997 and fourth in 2005. His teams won gold medals at the 1995 and 1999 Pan Am Games and he was also head coach for the men's team for the 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Games. But after 16 years, he's stepping down.
"I was a bit lucky to join the national program when we had a group of guys dedicated to being world class players," Turk said in a Squash Canada statement today. "Working with players like Jonathon Power, Graham Ryding and Shahier Razik were definitely career highlights for me."
Joe Besso, Squash Canada's vice president-high performance, said Turk was a key component in Canada's rise to prominence in men's squash on the international stage. "He's a big reason Canada has been consistently in the top-eight at the team worlds. He's a great individual and a great communicator. They are huge shoes to fill."
Turk said the new men's national senior team coach should have a solid pool of talent for the next several years.
"Today there's many Canadian players who are committed to play professionally for the next couple of years on the circuit. And with Canada hosting so many pro events it makes that decision even easier. When I was playing only a handful of us wanted to do that."
A successor is expected to be named in May.
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