LaVall Jordan Puts Pressure on Himself, Program

LaVall Jordan was once a starting guard for Butler University, competing against the UW-Milwaukee Panthers and later as their coach in the old Midwestern Collegiate Conference. Last Friday, at the Fireside Lounge, he was introduced as the new Head Coach of the UW-Milwaukee men’s basketball program by Athletic Director Amanda Braun.

“I am excited to build on the Milwaukee tradition and to pursue excellence,” said Jordan, who was named as the next head coach after reports emerged last week.

Jordan was an assistant coach at the University of Michigan for the last six years, helping lead the Wolverines to five NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Final Four appearance in 2013.

“The opportunity that drove me here is because I’ve got a great familiarity with Wisconsin-Milwaukee, being in the League as a both a player and coach,” Jordan said. His mother was born and currently lives in Milwaukee.

Jordan was a starting guard for Butler from 1998-2001 and helped lead the Bulldogs to their first NCAA tournament win in 39 years with a 79-63 win over Wake Forest in 2001. He was a two-time All Midwestern Collegiate Conference player, tallying 91 victories in four years, making him the winningest player in Butler history. He then served as Butler’s Coordinator of Basketball Operations from 2003-04 and then as an assistant coach from 2004-07.

Braun said she met Jordan in Houston where the 2016 Men’s Final Four was held. “Val brings passion and success as a player and coach, and understands what it means to build a mid-major program,” said Braun. She firmly believes the program has taken a big step forward.

The new Panther coach quickly paid his respects to former Head Coach Rob Jeter, who was fired on March 17. “I think it’s important to recognize coach Jeter and his staff who put their blood, sweat and tears into helping move Milwaukee basketball forward.”

The Panthers finished the season with a 20-13 record, good for fifth place in the conference. Nine of their 13 losses came by four points or less and two of those victories came against Big Ten teams, one of them being Wisconsin.

So what is Jordan’s playing philosophy? “We are going to be efficient offensively,” said Jordan. “We want to push the pace and we’re gonna play fast.”

Sounds like a Mike D’Antoni, Phoenix Suns, type offense with Steve Nash leading the way. Coach confirmed that many of the strategies he learned from Michigan Head Coach John Beilein will be implemented in their gameplan. The Panthers finished fourth in conference scoring with 79.3 points per game, and with their three leading scorers on the team possibly returning for next season the future offensively looks bright.

But Coach Jordan knows that it’s defense that wins championships. “We are going to be stingy defensively.  Defense and rebounds win championships.” The Panthers may have finished fourth in defensive rebounding, but they were only eighth in blocks and ninth in steals. And despite finishing seven games above .500, the Panthers allowed more field goals than it made, allowing 882 and scoring 879. He says to expect more man-to-man and 1-3-1 zone defenses. While the offense has the potential to adopt Jordan’s scheme, the defense must improve.

Recruitment was a strong topic of discussion, being one of the primary reasons he was hired. “We wanted someone who has successfully recruited Midwest region,” said Braun. Jordan is looking forward to the task, saying they will “put a staff together that is going to exude Panther pride.” Recruitment will be an uphill battle for the Panthers. Being ineligible for tournament play two years ago for academic reasons and last year because Braun believed they underperformed can be very discouraging for future athletes to want to come here. But Jordan is optimistic, saying they are only looking forward.

The future of the Panthers looked bright following this season. The firing of beloved Head Coach Rob Jeter was unexpected, especially since he still had one-year remaining on his contract, and many of the team’s top players were juniors. Jordan, who has never been a head coach on any level, was immediately asked whether he deems himself ready. He states that he has been ready for some time due to the great influences others have had on him throughout his career.

While he is optimistic with the program’s future on winning championships and recruiting top-level talent, he focused greatly on the responsibility placed upon himself, as well as his fellow coaches.

“Our mission is to represent Milwaukee with class, to graduate all our student-athletes and to build champions for life,” he said. “Not just on the court but in the classroom and in the community, so when they graduate and move on they will be great husbands, great fathers and great community leaders.”

He stressed the importance of getting to know the players personally, saying “teams that are connected are the best.” Connecting with the team is one thing, keeping it together is another. Regarding to the sticky situation with the four released players, Jordan hopes that as he gets to know them they will have a better understanding of what he brings and what they will be leaving behind. Several players were in attendance, including junior guards Jordan Johnson and Cody Wichmann.

“The team that we had (last year) was very guard orientated, and he’s a guard-driven coach,” said Johnson. He agreed that Jordan may have what it takes to take the Panthers to the next level but won’t confirm whether he or the others will stay.

Wichmann, when asked whether the Panthers can be a consistent title contender under Jordan, says the team already has all the tools but Jordan could be a missing piece to the puzzle if the team stays together. “I hope everyone sticks together because if we do we’ll have something special here.”

Coach Jordan sees the potential and expects more fans in the stands next season. “I want people, when they leave the area, to say ‘man that was fun to watch.’