Pops Turner
American baseball player, coach, umpire
About Pops Turner
Lived 1901 – 1970 (aged 68). Pops Turner was an American baseball player, baseball umpire, baseball manager and american football coach.
Elbert Carter Turner (September 11, 1901 – February 3, 1970), nicknamed "Cool", "Pop", and "Pops", was an American Negro league infielder and umpire, and a college baseball and college football coach at North Carolina College—now known as North Carolina Central University—in Durham, North Carolina.
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Turner attended West Virginia State University, and was the school's starting quarterback. He began his Negro leagues career in 1921 while still in college, using the aliases "J. H. Wagner" and "Bert Wagner" to protect his amateur status. Turner played in the 1927 Colored World Series for the Bacharach Giants. Following his playing career, he went on to umpire in the Negro National League, and was head baseball coach at North Carolina College. In 1941, Turner coached the backfield for the football team at North Carolina College under Bill Burghardt. The following year, he succeeded Burghardt as head football coach.
Turner died on February 3, 1970, at Hillhaven Convalescent Center in Durham.
Head coaching record Football
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Pops Turner's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Pops Turner's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Pops Turner?
American baseball player, coach, umpire (1901–1970)
When was Pops Turner born?
Pops Turner was born on 11 September 1901 in Brooklyn.
When did Pops Turner die?
Pops Turner died on 3 February 1970 in Durham.
What was Pops Turner's occupation?
Pops Turner was a baseball player, baseball umpire, baseball manager and american football coach.
What nationality was Pops Turner?
Pops Turner was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Pops Turner. https://biography.guide/pops-turner/
MLA: "Pops Turner." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/pops-turner/.
Chicago: "Pops Turner." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/pops-turner/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:07 UTC