Zach Turpin, who has spent the last five years as a math teacher, assistant basketball coach and assistant football coach in River Falls, will take on a new role as the next River Falls varsity boys basketball coach. 

Turpin was raised in Spooner, Wis., going on to graduate college with a bachelor’s degree in math education from Concordia College. Turpin taught math for 15 years at St. Croix Central High School and coached the varsity boys’ basketball team there for seven years. 

The hiring comes after the resignation of head coach Zac Campbell, who led the program for 11 years. 

Turpin filled in after the team made a run to the Sectional Final against West Salem, before losing 66-58. River Falls most recently made the State Tournament back in 2021, falling in the semi-finals. 

He has seen what it takes for the program to be successful and is ready to take on the challenge. 

“I’ve gotten to see the culture that Coach Campbell and all of the assistants and all of the stakeholders in the program have built up,” Turpin said. “I’m just excited to try to continue to build that culture.” 

When the chance to become River Falls’ coach came up, it was a no-brainer for Turpin, as he has been a part of the program, has plenty of coaching experience and has loved his time in River Falls. 

Turpin said fans and family can expect strong communication and he looks to build trust with both the players and their families. What Turpin expects from the team is student-athletes that look to be the best they can be on the court and in life in general. 

“I hope that it’s a team that basically all of the individual players are giving their best each and every day, whether that is on the court or off the court,” Turpin said. 

With a team that has had recent success, Turpin is looking to meet the high expectations of River Falls fans, while maintaining the core values of the program. 

“There’s a lot of high expectations, I think, already that are put on our student athletes,” Turpin said. “It’s trying to uphold those expectations, those positive characteristics.” 

Being a part of the community for years now, Turpin has grown a tight bond with the River Falls community. 

The goal for the coming season is for the team to continue to grow as players and people. 

“It’s hard to measure, but I hope what we see is we get positive growth out of our kids,” Turpin said. 

As the new era is just a handful of months from kicking off, all the fans can do is wait patiently for the anticipated season opener.