When Randy Jordan accepted the Union High School boys basketball job, he did not come to experiment, test the waters, or make a quick stop on his coaching résumé. He came to plant something. He came to stay. And after one full offseason and one regular season game, Jordan is already charting the course for a new Union basketball identity.
“First of all, let me say I am really excited to be here,” Jordan noted in a recent interview. “I am really happy to be here. We chose this. When this came up, and Coach [Tim] Pope and I talked, it all worked out. I could have stayed where I was, but I wanted to be here, and my wife wanted to be here. We’re just very happy to be here.”
Taking over a program with recent instability, Jordan understood the importance of setting the right tone from day one. He acknowledged that transitioning into a new system can be challenging for players, but what impressed him most was how quickly his athletes embraced the shift.
“They are a great group of guys,” Jordan said. “Varsity, JV, they are a great group of guys, top to bottom. They are excited. They are willing to learn. They are willing to be coached. I am the new guy. They could have come in, shut down, but they didn’t. They are buying in. It is great for me to see when the light bulb goes on, and they get it. I just see a bright future for us.”
He is honest about the work ahead.
“We have to change the culture,” Jordan said. “Bottom line, we have to change the culture to what we want it to be. Not anything against anybody before us, but we have to have it fit what we want it to be. And that is going to take time. It is going to take a year or so before we get that total buy-in, and not just from the players, but the parents and the community.”
Jordan said earning trust starts with transparency and approachability.
“If you have questions, come ask us,” he said. “Do not do it behind closed doors. Come talk to us. If there are people out there that we need to go meet in the community to explain what we are doing, why we are doing it, and what they can do to help, tell me. I want to go meet them. I want to include everybody.”
Jordan’s blueprint for Union goes beyond practices and game nights. He wants the program to matter to the community and show that these players represent something bigger than basketball.
“The Saturday before Christmas, we are going to come in Saturday morning, shoot around, get on a bus, and go over to Mary Gran and Southwood,” Jordan said. “We will wear our Santa hats and our shooting shirts, pass out candy canes, probably sing some Christmas carols very badly, but we are going to go spend time with people who need someone to spend time with them. Then we will go out and have Christmas dinner.”
He wants the team to experience more than high school basketball.
“We are going to pick a Saturday and go watch Campbell or UNCW or go watch a college game,” Jordan stressed. “They can get on a college campus, see what it feels like, see what it takes to play at that level. They have not been exposed to that a lot of times. That is important.”
There will also be team bonding events.
“We are going to go bowling one Saturday,” Jordan said. “We want to have an alumni night. We are talking about having a throwback game on Dec. 10, if we can work all the details out. We want all the alumni to come back. Men’s basketball players, women’s basketball players, everyone. Watch the game, be part of it, and come take a picture. Be part of this program.”
Jordan knows Union once had a reputation for toughness, talent, and championship-level play. Getting back to that standard will take persistence, unity, and community support.
“All we can do is show people that we are here to build a program that is going to treat their sons the right way,” the coach attested. “We are going to treat them like our own sons. We will be firm but fair with them. If you need to talk to us, come talk to us.”
He praised the school’s leadership for helping him feel at home immediately.
“Dr. Shabot and Mr. Richardson, our principal and assistant principal, are outstanding,” Jordan said. “The teachers here are welcoming and inviting. It is a great place to be. The kids are great. The facilities are good. Yes, we need more facilities, but everybody does. We need a field house. We need an auxiliary gym. We need some work done on baseball stuff. But let us get people involved and show them we are here to build Union back to what it was, to be proud of it.”
The buy-in from upperclassmen like senior leader Manny Adams has helped Jordan’s early transition.
“Once your leaders fall into place, everything else falls into place,” Jordan said. “Once your best players get on board with you, everybody gets on board.”
Adams said he fully embraces his role.
“As a senior, I feel like I am accepting that role,” Adams said. “We have a lot of young guys coming up from JV. I am excited to play with them. Anything they need, I am here.”
He remembers how nervous some of the younger players were before the opener.
“I was telling them, go out there and play your game,” Adams said. “I tell my teammates all the time, do not be scared of calling me out. If I am not doing my job, let me know. I want to be a better leader.”
Adams grew up learning the game in parks, not gyms, which makes his development more impressive.
“I did not really play organized basketball until eighth grade,” he said. “I thank the coaches. Coaching matters. They taught me how to play real basketball with a team. That is what helped me grow.”
He said Jordan’s arrival has brought a shift in energy and accountability.
“You can tell these guys are competitive and they want to win,” Adams said. “Guys want to listen. It is the little things. The habits die hard, but we have been working hard all summer. You can feel the difference.”
Junior guard Josiah Swinson made an immediate statement in Union’s opener and is ready for the next challenge.
“Pretty good,” he said about joining varsity. “We have a new coach. He is teaching a lot. We have good guys coming up. We have a good opportunity to win conference.”
He said the jump from JV is real.
“Varsity is a different speed,” Swinson pointed out. “JV slows down a little. Varsity is more uptempo, but I love it. It makes me feel faster.”
Nerves hit him early.
“I started off a little nervous,” Swinson said. “But Manny and my dad and the coaches told me to calm down and play my game.”
Swinson is aiming high with personal goals and team goals.
“I want to average about five assists and around ten points,” he said. “I want to play team ball and be one of the best guards in the conference.”
He has seen the culture shift as well.
“Middle school, we did not win any games,” Swinson said. “In high school, we learned organized ball, and we got better every year. I feel like we can bring that winning culture back to Union. It is going to be different this year.”
Jordan knows the rebuild will not be instantaneous, but he sees the signs.
“They work hard. They play hard. They are listening. They like being together,” Jordan said. “It is a great place to be. With the right support and the right commitment, we can get Union back to what it was.”
The Spartans believe this is only the beginning.
And for the first time in a long time, belief feels genuine around the Union gym.