The Turner Foundation recently honored former Westmont coach John Moore.
Former Westmont men’s basketball head coach John Moore was honored by The Turner Foundation at its Legacy Event Thursday at Rosewood Miramar Beach.
Moore was celebrated amidst a group headlined by guests such as NBA legends Magic Johnson and Jerry West.
Moore was one of two recipients of the 2021 Albert J. Turner Legacy of Service Award, joining Dr. Charles Fenzi, the CEO and chief medical officer for Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics. The award is named after Rev. Dr. Albert J. Turner, who was the founder of The Turner Foundation in 1958.
Moore was honored for retiring as the winningest coach in Westmont history, after accumulating 558 wins in 27 years at the institution, and 637 in total over his collegiate coaching career. In Moore’s final season, the coach was named NAIA Coach of the Year, after leading his Warriors to a GSAC regular season championship, when the club was picked to finish sixth in the preseason polls.
Over Moore’s Westmont career, the Warriors won three GSAC Tournament Championships to go along with a pair of regular season titles and qualified for the NAIA National Tournament 14 times.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, proper celebration of Moore’s career has been postponed on campus until this coming year. On Jan. 22, Westmont Athletics will host a celebration of men’s basketball that includes honoring Moore and his tenure.
The day will begin with women’s and men’s basketball games against Arizona Christian in Murchison Gym, with the women tipping off at noon and the men at 2 p.m. Ahead of tip-off for the men’s game, Westmont will honor Moore for his 27 years of service as head coach.
The festivities on Jan. 22 will also include a halftime celebration of the 1971-72 Westmont team, and the legacy of Tom Byron, 50 years after what many consider the most remarkable season in program history.
Following the conclusion of the men’s game, the scene will shift to Westmont’s Global Leadership Center, where a reception will take place. Free tickets for the reception can be obtained on the Westmont Athletics website (athletics.westmont.edu). Tickets for the basketball games can be purchased separately on the website as well.
The postgame reception will be limited to 150 people, with just 50 tickets remaining.
Jacob Norling is the sports information assistant at Westmont College.
email: sports@newspress.com
