It’s been four and a half years since a member of the George family was at the helm of the boys varsity basketball team. When former coach Ken George stepped down in March 2018 after 24 years, former Ranger player Kyle Carhart took the reigns and led the team to multiple championships. Now, George’s son Jordan is ready to lead the program.

Jordan George is no stranger to the FHC basketball program. He played on the varsity team in his final two years of high school and was brought on to coach shortly after.

“I started coaching [at FHC] in my senior year at Hope [College],” George said. “I spent two years as the JV coach, two years as the assistant, and now this is my first year as the varsity coach.”

George was practically born to coach basketball, heavily influenced by his father, the winningest coach in FHC basketball history.

“My dad’s been extremely influential,” George said. “He’s been the model for everything I’ve done, playing and coaching. Being able to play for him for two years in high school was an unbelievable experience that we still talk about to this day. We really cherished those two years in high school.”

George’s father, Ken, has left a lasting impact on him, and not just as a player. It set him up for coaching, too.

“He really influenced me to even go into coaching,” George said. “I had no idea that it would progress this much this quickly to where now I’m able to take over the program. He’s been really influential in my life.”

Normally, one would feel some pressure to live up to the expectations set by a member of the family, but it doesn’t seem to bother George.

“I don’t necessarily feel pressure at this point,” George said. “I don’t think it’s a pressure because, at this point, I’ve been able to establish my own way of doing things. Obviously, the expectations are really high here at FHC, which I’m more thankful for than anything. The opportunity to coach in a place that expects excellence is an advantage in my eyes.”

Not to be overlooked in the coaching process are the contributions of Kyle Carhart, the coach these past four years at FHC. George recognizes these contributions.

“It was an invaluable experience,” George said. “Sitting next to him on the bench in the last two years, then being the JV coach under him, just seeing his level of preparation and his in-game management style has been really valuable. Two years of pretty much any situation you can think of in a game, having an up-close view of how he handled that is super valuable going forward.”

Athletic Director Jonathan Goei was a big part of the hiring process this offseason, and he was impressed by what George brought to the table.

“Jordan is a very high-energy, passionate individual,” Goei said. “He’s going to be the type of person who’s just going to work his tail off for the program. He’s going to do everything he can to help build a program, including building a youth program and helping kids from a young age. He’s just the type of person who loves to learn, loves to get better, and loves to work at it.”

Goei also shares George’s sentiments about pressure. It won’t be much of a factor in the years to come.

“What happens from a results standpoint is not as much of a concern,” Goei said. “He’s going to be a passionate coach, he’s going to build relationships, and he’s going to work hard. We want to make sure our coaches are doing right by our student-athletes, that they are helping to develop young people, not just basketball players or soccer players.”

George has spent a lot of time in the basketball program at FHC, gaining lots of valuable experience and making a lot of memories in his time in the gym. Some stick out more than others.

“My brother’s whole senior year, I was able to sit on the bench with my dad,” George said. “I was like a volunteer assistant coach that year. Being able to be on the bench next to my dad with my brother, who had an amazing senior year when they won 18 straight games, I think those moments of sitting next to my dad while he coached and being able to watch my brother Ty play were some special times.”

As for his goals this season, George hopes his players enjoy the ride.

“I’m looking forward to making it really memorable for the kids,” George said. “I want it to be the kind of thing that sticks with our guys long after they’re gone here. I want to provide them with as many opportunities as possible to make it super special, and I want to win a ton of games. A school like this warrants a program in the winter that they can be really proud of, so I want to represent the school and the community really well and take the program to places it hasn’t been before. I want to set really high goals.”