Valparaiso University Athletics Group Sales Ticket Coordinator Renee' Turpa will be honored on Friday, Feb. 13 at Portage High School in Portage, Ind. with the dedication of Renee' Turpa Gymnasium.
 
Turpa, the winningest basketball coach in Portage history and a pioneer and trailblazer in women's sports, will have the gymnasium dedicated in her honor at halftime of the 7 p.m. boys basketball game on Friday, Feb. 13.
 
In addition to her role coordinating ticket groups, Turpa serves as women's basketball/volleyball color analyst for home broadcasts on The Valley on ESPN. Notably, her broadcast partner Brian Jennings also has a local athletics facility named after him – Brian Jennings Field, the home of Griffith High School baseball in Griffith, Ind.
 
In 2021, Turpa became the first female to be inducted into the National High School Basketball Coaches Association's Court of Honor as a pioneer for girls high school basketball in the state of Indiana.
 
In addition to her responsibilities at Valpo, the former teacher and coach at Portage High School works in multiple facets with several basketball organizations both statewide and nationally. Turpa sits on the Board of Directors for both the National High School Basketball Coaches Association (NHSBCA) and the National Organization of Coaches Association Directors (NOCAD). Furthermore, she serves as Assistant Director with the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) in addition to her role on the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Youth Sports Committee.
 
A 1979 graduate of Ball State University, Turpa earned six varsity letters while with the Cardinals: women's basketball (4), women's golf (1), and softball (1). She holds the distinction of starting in the Women's College World Series in 1975.
 
Following her days in Muncie, Turpa taught special education at Portage High School for 32 years, where she authored and taught the Adaptive Physical Education Curriculum.
 
In addition to her service in the classroom, she served as varsity girls basketball coach for the Indians for 17 years. Turpa remains the winningest coach in school history for either gender. When basketball wasn't in season, she led the cross country and track programs at Portage.
 
Turpa returned to the bench in 2016 as an assistant coach with Marquette Catholic. She helped guide the Blazers to state titles in 2018 and 2019 in addition to three regional championships and 2024 state runner-up.
 
Turpa has been married to her husband, Pete, for 44 years. He was a history teacher and football coach at Portage and Valparaiso high schools for 33 years before retiring.