Biography: TUROFF, Frederick Robert  “Fred”

Inducted: 2009
Born: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Fred Turoff began his gymnastics career in the Philadelphia junior high public league and competed with the Mannettes and Philadelphia Turners as well. His family moved to Connecticut when he was in the 9th grade. He eventually became a two-time state high school all-around champion for Rippowam High School. EIGL Championships: Competing as a member of Temple University’s varsity gymnastics teams from 1966–69, Fred won Gold-AA & HB, (1968). Cup of the Americas: Gold-Team & SR, (1969). Maccabiah Games: Gold-Team, SR & V, (1969). World University Games: Bronze-Team, (1970). World Gymnastic Championships: Team member, Ljubljana, Yugoslavia, (1970). Coaching: Turoff began coaching at Temple University as Head Gymnastics Coach in 1976 and has remained Head Coach since that date. As of May 2007, Fred coached Temple Gymnastics teams to 15 EIGL/ECAC team titles and produced national team members Mike Silverstein, Miles Avery, Joe Rowlette, Bill Roth, Dominick Minicucci, Aaron Vexler, Jason Krane, Dave Frank, Kenny Sykes, and Mike Moran. Fred has also coached five NCAA event champions. International Coaching: Turoff’s international coaching activities began with the 1978 Golden Sands competition in Bulgaria. The next year, he was assistant coach of the World Championship team in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1985, he coached the first of his two U.S. Maccabiah Games teams in Israel. In 1991, he was assistant coach for the U.S. men’s team at the World University Games held in Sheffield, England, and the Pan American Games in Santiago de Cuba. In 1992, he was an assistant on the U.S. Olympic team. In November of 1993, Fred coached at the Nike International Invitational in Sydney, Australia. He was an assistant coach for the 1994 Team World Championships in Dortmund, Germany, plus the 1995 American Cup and Visa Challenge. He was the coach of the 1996 Pacific Alliance Championships team that competed in Malaysia, and in 1997 he again coached the U.S. Maccabiah team in Israel. Honors: Turoff earned the ECAC Scholar-Athlete Award as a senior at Temple U. and graduated cum laude with a major in physics; Inducted into the Temple University Hall of Fame, (1984); Received the U.S. Gymnastic Federation’s Frank Cumiskey Award for contribution to the boys’ Junior Olympic Program, (1980); Received Robert Stout Service Award for his work in the Region Seven boy’s program, (1984); Received NACGC Special Service Award for his service for two terms each as the association’s President and Secretary-Treasurer; Voted NCAA Eastern Region Coach of the Year, (1981, ’85, ’86, ’91, ’98, ’00, & ’07); Presented with the Honor Coach Award, the highest honor given by the College Gymnastic Association composed of present and former collegiate gymnastics coaches.; Service/Contributions: Served six years on the NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Committee, the last two as Chairperson; Served on the USAG Hall of Fame selection Committee, the last two years as the Chairperson, (1986-’07); Served as President of the U.S. Elite coaches Association for Men’s Gymnastics; Represented men’s organizations on the USAG Board of Directors many years and served a term on the USAG Men’s Program Committee 1995-97. In addition, Fred’s textbook, Artistic Gymnastics—A Comprehensive Guide to Performing and Teaching Skills for Beginners and Advanced Beginners, was released in April 1991 by Wm. C. Brown Publishers and adopted by the U.S. Junior Boys’ program as its coaching manual. In previous writing endeavors, Fred co-authored a rules supplement governing boys’ gymnastics for 1977–80 and edited the 1981–84 rules. The current AACCA Cheerleading Safety Manual also contains a section he authored. Judge: Fred is a nationally and internationally certified judge. He served as delegation leader and judge for the USA-Italy men’s competition in Italy in 1982; he was delegation leader for the USA-Canada meet in May, 1990; he judged at the 1990 USA-DDR-Switzerland meet and the 1991 Pan American Games. In 1987–88, and again in 1991 he served on a committee to re-evaluate the international ratings of pommel horse skills and compose a new compulsory routine. He also contributed to the 1989 and 1993 international Code of Points. General: Fred is an avid scuba diver and also enjoys underwater photography. Former US teammate Rick Tucker introduced Fred to SCUBA in 1985 and it became a passion. He has an instructor’s license and has instructed SCUBA classes at Temple. Some of his photos can be seen in instructional materials published by the National Association of Underwater Instructors. Family: (m) Diane Eigner VMD, aka “The Cat Doctor” in Philadelphia. They have a son, Evan, who is an aspiring gymnast.

Sources: Interviews and correspondence with Mr. Turoff plus the 2003-2004 Media Guide published by USA Gymnastics. Introduction and formatting by Dr. Larry Banner, Web Manager.