Iowa State University Athletics
10.23.2026 | Athletics
AMES, Iowa – Iowa State Vice President and Jamie & Ellen Pollard Endowed Director of Athletics Jared Benko has announced the addition of Josh Turner to his executive staff. The hiring is pending a background check.
"We are excited to welcome Josh Turner to Iowa State Athletics," Benko said. "Josh brings a great deal of experience and knowledge, particularly in building out front office operations and managing revenue sharing. I have been impressed with his leadership, strategic thinking and understanding of where college athletics is headed. We look forward to welcoming Josh, Bailey, Olivia and their baby boy on the way to the Cyclone family!"
Turner will serve as Senior Deputy Athletics Director with his responsibilities including strategic planning, commercial strategy and revenue generation, as well as revenue sharing and NIL. He'll also provide leadership for front office staff and work alongside Benko in the area of coaching contracts.
Turner comes to Iowa State after spending the last two years at Florida State University as Deputy Athletics Director and Chief Financial Officer.
"I'm honored to join Iowa State as Senior Deputy Athletics Director and grateful to Jared Benko and university leadership for their confidence," Turner said. "As the economics of college athletics evolve, the institutions best positioned to thrive will be those that pair strong traditions with disciplined, forward-looking strategy. Iowa State has both, and with CyTown and the talented team already in place, I look forward to helping translate that strength into sustained competitive advantage for Cyclone student-athletes."
At Florida State, Turner's portfolio spanned enterprise financial strategy, revenue sharing, NIL, multimedia rights, contracts, analytics and special projects.
He oversaw the department's $243 million consolidated budget and developed a long-range financial plan to prepare the department and university for a new economic era in college athletics.
Turner designed the department's revenue-sharing and NIL model, partnering with head coaches, sport general managers and support staff on roster resource strategy.
Working collaboratively with Seminole Boosters and department leadership, Turner supported Florida State's record revenue in fiscal year 2026. He also partnered with colleagues across athletics and campus on new commercial initiatives, including FSU's first department-wide jersey patch, on-field and on-court sponsorships, and the expansion of Doak Campbell Stadium into a year-round entertainment venue.
Prior to his time in Tallahassee, Turner was Senior Associate Athletics Director for business operations at Georgia Southern from 2024-25. It was his second stint at GSU after working as a budget analyst from 2020-22 under Benko.
At GSU, Turner was a member of the athletics executive team and served as sport administrator for baseball, volleyball and women's golf. He co-developed a $10 million baseball facility during his tenure, while the volleyball and women's golf teams reached program-best national rankings.
He also served as Assistant Athletics Director for business operations at the University of Miami from 2022-24. He managed the athletics business office and was the primary football liaison.
Prior to his collegiate athletics administrative career, Turner spent three years at IMG Academy and was a consultant for the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Salem, Virginia native earned his bachelor's degree from Southeastern University (Fla.), where he was a baseball student-athlete.
He and his wife, Bailey, are the parents of a daughter, Olivia, and a baby boy on the way.
