He’s never been a head coach before. But he will try to fix LU-Belleville football.

Kevin Turco is the latest person hoping to build the Lindenwood University-Belleville football program into something special.

After nearly 20 years of coaching experience, including the last two seasons as the offensive line coach and assistant head coach at Urbana (Ohio) University, the 41-year-old Turco has been tabbed for his first head coaching position by LU-Belleville.

“I didn’t know much about Lindenwood-Belleville if you go back a few years, but I did know about Lindenwood University at St. Charles,” Turco said Thursday at a news conference on campus. “They’ve always had a reputation for obviously their commitment to academics, but (also) their commitment to athletics. It’s shown, from the championships they’ve won, their progression from NAIA to (NCAA) Division II (and) their facilities. To be able to be a part of this community is an incredible honor, and without a doubt we have all the tools in place to be able to take the next step.”

Turco becomes the third head football coach in the past four seasons at LU-Belleville, which competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

Former head coach Dale Carlson was relieved of his duties in November after the Lynx struggled to an 0-10 season in 2016. Under Carlson, LU-Belleville went 4-16 in two seasons.

The program’s previous head coach was Jeff Fisher, who started the school’s program in 2012 and was fired in June 2015. The Lynx were 10-20 in three seasons under Fisher, now an assistant coach at Washington University in St. Louis.

Brian Nemsky, a Granite City graduate, has played for every head coach in LU-Belleville history. Nemsky just finished his senior season, and after hearing Turco’s news conference, he wished he had one more year of eligibility.

“It’s not tough if you have the right mindset,” Nemsky said of playing for three head coaches in four seasons. “If everybody buys into what the coach is bringing in, you’re going to have success.”

Helping the Holtzes

One of Turco’s first jobs in coaching was as a graduate assistant at South Carolina under legendary coach Lou Holtz. Turco has also coached with Holtz’s son, Skip Holtz.

“I was a guy that really couldn’t offer them much other than to work hard and break down film for them — and occasionally probably get their lunch too, because I was the low guy on the totem pole,” Turco said.

Turco said Holtz left both a personal and professional impression on him.

“I remember not having a place to go on Christmas back in South Carolina and spending it with the Holtz family,” Turco said. “What they’ve done for me in football has been incredible. But they’ve also done a whole heck of a lot for me, maybe even more, off the field, too, in terms of my development and just the support. I’m thankful.”

Turco is the first major coaching hire by LU-Belleville Athletic Director Ryan Kaiser.

Kaiser was hired last September after being the associate athletics director at Division II Northwest Oklahoma State. He has worked with Turco previously at NCAA Northwestern Oklahoma State and Newberry College in South Carolina, also a D-II school.

Turco spent six years in the U.S. Marine Corps (1995 to 2001) after his playing career at Western New England University in Massachusetts ended before turning to coaching.

“He has been spending year and years preparing for this moment,” said Kaiser, who feels the Lynx players may not understand the work ethic Turco brings to the job. “In this business you want to surround yourself with people that share of the same vision, aspirations and dreams that you do. For whatever reason or another, Kevin and I have connected on that level. I believe that he’s a guy that understands where I’m trying to take this athletic department.”

Building from the ground up

Turco plans to meet with every player and assistant coach in the program next week. After that, he will begin making decisions that will shape the program’s future.

Turco didn’t feel that being hired less than two weeks away from the national signing day would hurt his first recruiting class. He plans to focus on the metro-east and St. Louis, along with Chicago, Kansas City and elsewhere.

“We’re going to recruit all the way up to August, and this will be a place where we recruit 365 days a year,” Turco said. “The beautiful thing about NAIA is it’s not so much geared around that (Feb. 1) signing day. Although that is important, the next day is just as important, too.”

Though he’s an old-school coach with a military background, Turco didn’t seem surprised to see his new home field striped in the school colors of maroon and gray.

“I’m thankful to have a football field; that’s the God’s honest truth,” he said. “I don’t care what color it is. The kids like it, and I think it helps recruiting, believe it or not.”

This story was originally published January 19, 2017 at 5:25 PM with the headline "He’s never been a head coach before. But he will try to fix LU-Belleville football.."