Kansas City hires former Wichita State basketball coach Mark Turgeon
Former Wichita State men’s basketball coach Mark Turgeon is returning to a sideline in the Midwest again.
Kansas City announced Sunday afternoon that Turgeon, 60, will be its next head coach, ending a four-year absence from coaching that began when he and Maryland mutually agreed to part ways in Dec. 2021.
Long before WSU became a national power again with Final Four runs and top-10 rankings, it was Turgeon who helped pull the program out of a long stretch of mediocrity and put it back on a winning trajectory during his seven seasons from 2000-07.
Kansas City athletic director Brandon Martin framed the hire as a foundational reset for a program still chasing its first NCAA Tournament appearance since moving to Division I in 1987.
“We are delighted to welcome Coach Turgeon and his wife Ann to the Roo family,” Martin said in a statement. “It’s exciting to have them both back home in the Midwest. Coach Turgeon brings a wealth of credibility and success for our fan base, alumni, donors and key stakeholders throughout Kansas City. This will undoubtedly be an exciting and rewarding era for our Roo basketball program.”
Turgeon replaces Marvin Menzies, who will not return after the season but will finish out the current campaign.
“It is an honor to be returning home and to be trusted to build a winning tradition with Kansas City men’s basketball,” Turgeon said in a statement. “It was obvious through our initial conversations that I could build a strong partnership with Dr. Martin and Chancellor Agrawal. I’ve always had a great love for Kansas City, and I believe that this city deserves a team that reflects its championship culture. There is so much untapped potential and with the full strength of the Kansas City community behind us, we will be able to elevate this program to new heights.”
For WSU fans, Turgeon’s return to coaching naturally revives memories of a pivotal era in Shocker basketball — one that bridged the gap between the program’s dormant years and its eventual rise into a national power under head coach Gregg Marshall.
Mark Turgeon’s time at Wichita State
When Turgeon took over Wichita State in 2000, the program was stuck. The Shockers had posted only two winning seasons in the previous 11 years and had largely drifted out of the Missouri Valley Conference spotlight.
A Topeka native who played and coached at Kansas, Turgeon returned to his home state with a reputation as a sharp recruiter and disciplined tactician. His rebuild wasn’t instant, but it was steady. WSU reached three straight National Invitational Tournament appearances from 2003-05, signaling progress. The true breakthrough came in the 2005-06 season.
That team captured the program’s first Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title since 1983 and earned WSU’s first NCAA Tournament berth since 1988. What followed remains one of the most celebrated tournament runs in school history.
The Shockers blasted 10th-seeded Seton Hall by 20 points in the first round, then stunned No. 2 seed Tennessee to reach the Sweet 16 — the program’s first trip that deep in 25 years. Wichita State’s run ended with a loss to eventual Final Four Cinderella George Mason, but the impact stuck.
That roster included P.J. Couisnard — now an assistant coach on the current Shocker staff under head coach Paul Mills — giving the present-day program a direct coaching link back to Turgeon’s signature team.
Turgeon’s final Wichita State season in 2006-07 began with a surge. The Shockers opened 9-0 and climbed as high as No. 8 in the AP poll, but a late slump led to a 17-14 finish and no postseason berth, and Turgeon departed after the season for Texas A&M.
Turgeon returned to the Roundhouse last season for the first time in 17 years to be honored for his induction into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.
Given the regional proximity, it’s possible Turgeon could make a return to the Roundhouse at some point during his tenure. The Roos have played WSU at Koch Arena in 2017 and 2024.
This story was originally published February 1, 2026 at 2:25 PM.
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