Durant boys basketball coach Gary Jordan spent 18 years coaching at Turkey Creek Middle School before spending nine with the Cougars. After the 2004 season, he decided he had put in enough time.
Jordan, Durant's first basketball coach when the school opened in 1995, established the Cougars as a solid competitor from the beginning. He resigned from coaching but will continue teaching driver's education.
"I just keep wondering, "What would I do if I wasn't coaching?' " Jordan said. "There's just a million other things I'd like to do, and it seemed like the right time to go."
Jordan led the Cougars from a 10-win first season to a 25-6 record in 2002, when they made it to the region semifinals. He also won the Doug Walker Coach of the Year award that season.
The Cougars also went to the region semifinals in 2003, finishing 21-11. Durant won five games and did not make the playoffs in 2004.
After attending a coaches' meeting earlier this year, Jordan said he looked around and realized he was the oldest guy in the room. "I think if a new guy could come in there, it would be a new experience for him and might be good for the team," Jordan said.
Jordan, whose daughters Shelby and Jenna both played volleyball at Durant, said he still plans to attend as many Cougars sporting events as possible.
"I really enjoyed working with all of the coaches at Durant and want to thank them for making it such a great experience for me," Jordan said. "A lot of coaches won't say this about referees, but I loved working with them. They're all good guys."
