Veteran coach to lead Bearcat basketball

WADESBORO — Anson High School is bringing on a veteran coach to lead the men’s basketball team.

Randy Jordan has been coaching high school and college teams from tennis and track to football, but mostly basketball, for the last 37 years. Jordan is also an earth and environmental science and ecology teacher. He last coached in Montgomery County, but he always was interested in coaching in Anson County.

“Having played against Anson the last two years, I was just impressed with how much talent there was,” Jordan said. “I knew if the job ever became open, it was a place I would be interested in. I’m very blessed and lucky that (my wife and I) are here.”

Jordan and his wife are more than ready to integrate themselves into the community as they have with other schools. He said you can find them in the stands at almost every sporting event, supporting every athlete.

Jordan described his Bearcats team as a “sleeping giant” with all the talent his team possesses and his goal of getting those young men on the path to being successful.

While learning his new team, Jordan is also navigating an unusual sports year with COVID-19. He said the staff and players are taking all the necessary precautions of temperature checks, screening and cleaning as they just finished their first practice on Nov. 9.

“We want the guys to play,” Jordan said. “We want all sports to play. I’m a long-time Athletic Director and I want all sports to play, but we want to do it right. We want everybody to be safe.”

The benefit of having coached in Montgomery before this position, he said, is that he already knows how some of his team plays, but he is excited to keep building on the team’s strengths.

“I think we’re going to be very talented,” Jordan said. “We got all the pieces. From what I’ve seen in the past and what I saw today, we got all the pieces to go a long way, make a deep run this year.”

That deep run will only happen if the team stays disciplined, on and off the court, and follow the fundamentals, according to Jordan.

“Lebron wasn’t Lebron until he worked hard and learned fundamentals,” Jordan said.

His plan of attack is to press and run, press and run and when there is nothing left to do, press and run.

“It’s going to look like chaos out there, but it is organized chaos,” Jordan assured.

Depending on how try-outs go in the beginning of December, Jordan believes there will be about eight or nine seniors returning, making an experienced team. He also thinks he has players who have the potential to go on and play at the college level.

Apart from the wins he wants to have, Jordan hopes to bring a family aspect to his team and build a relationship with his players, their families and even the community.

“I want these young men to feel like we’re their second family,” Jordan said. “To be comfortable enough and trust us enough to come to us with problems, concerns. They’re welcomed in our home any time.”

Jordan and his team kicks off the season on Tuesday, Jan. 5 as they take on Union Pines.