New Basketball Head Coach Named

Jordan Greenwell has become head coach of the varsity Pioneers Basketball program after years of being part of the men’s team as student-athlete and assistant coach.

Greenwell began coaching in 2015 as a senior. Then-head coach Greg Rahn asked Greenwell to be his assistant, first as a student worker and then as a staff member upon his graduation. Greenwell then took over as the temporary head coach when Rahn exited in 2021.

He stepped up during a difficult time when COVID-19 caused consistent uncertainty, especially for the athletics program. Greenwell admitted that “Last season had its ups and downs. It was just kind all over the place. That’s not the fault of anybody … We were missing games, postponing games, canceling games and practices because of outbreaks on campus and missing players. Only playing with five players sometimes. There was a lot of adjusting we had to do last year. Everything was always changing and it was hard to get in the rhythm.”

As the 2022-2023 season begins under improved conditions, Greenwell has hopes for improving the program under his leadership in both its athleticism and community involvement. He stated, “This year I want to change the culture of the basketball team. I want to get back to having a presence on campus because I feel that the athletes are ambassadors on campus, and doing some stuff in the community as well because I think that is important too.”

His now-permanent position as head coach includes several managerial duties such as scheduling, recruiting, overseeing travel plans, coordinating with other teams and the conference, and keeping inventory of team equipment. Although the list of such responsibilities is long, coaching remains at the forefront.

Greenwell shared that his coaching philosophy prioritizes effort and connecting with players. “I try to read them as much as possible because you’re not going to be able to coach and talk to every player the same way. You have to personalize it for each individual,” he said. Greenwell also shared encouragement for prospective athletes interested in the basketball program, asking them to “Come out to a practice and see what we are about so they can see the camaraderie for themselves.”