Idaho coach Jon Newlee rarely goes through an interview without mentioning his associate head coach, Jordan Green.
Philip Vukelich | Argonaut
Idaho associate head coach Jordan Green has numerous responsibilities on a Vandal team that’s 10-1 in WAC play.
Newlee’s Vandal women’s basketball team is on the hunt for its second straight WAC title and second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Much of that success can be contributed to Green — a quiet but hardworking coach, according to his fellow coaches and players.
Green’s duties range from helping coordinate recruiting, travel and scouting opponents, to coaching Idaho’s post players and being the brain behind Idaho’s defense.
“He’s very busy man, he does a lot of stuff,” Newlee said. “I know what that’s like. I was an assistant myself for 17 years at Division I before I got a head job and it can be thankless work at times. I don’t think people really understand how valuable assistants can be.”
Green has been on Newlee’s staff for three years at Idaho, although this is his first season as associate head coach. He also worked for Newlee from 2004-08 at Idaho State University. Newlee and Green are also joined by assistants Christa Sanford and Kristi Zeller on this 2013-14 Vandal squad.
“I think the biggest thing I do is just try to assist Jon in his vision for the program,” Green said. “I’ve been with him for quite a few years now, so I kind of know what he wants. So my job is basically I want to make his job easier. I know his system well enough now that, without him even being here, I know 95 percent of the time what he would want.”
Green said he tries to be a second pair of eyes for Newlee on the court. As the recruiting coordinator, Green said he tries to bring in players that he knows will fit Newlee’s style and personality. Idaho only recruits three or four players each year, so the process is selective.
“That is one of my biggest goals and jobs is making sure that he (Newlee) gets to see the right people and we can recruit the right people,” Green said.
Green also spends hours in the film room cutting down film of every opponent into shorter pieces that he can show the team, he said. He also tries to stay ahead on scouting opponents, because the Vandals have a Thursday-Saturday game schedule — leaving only one day between the two games each week.
“Every single game that we have that we’ve played, they watch,” Newlee said.
On the court, Green focuses on coaching the post players and the defensive side of the ball, while Newlee coaches the offense. Under his watch, Idaho’s starting posts Alyssa Charlston and Ali Forde have combined for 24.4 points per game, 14.9 rebounds per game and 75 blocks so far this season.
“Jordan (Green) does a lot behind the scenes that people don’t see,” Charlston said. “Coach (Newlee) obviously runs the program and makes really big decisions. But what Jordan is going through now is kind of what you have to go through to get to that head coaching spot, and we can all see that Jordan is definitely capable of being a head coach. I can credit so much of my success to what Jordan has done for this program.”
Green has been interested in basketball since he was old enough dribble a ball, he said. He was exposed to basketball at a young age, since his dad was an eighth grade basketball coach. Green went on to play basketball in college at George Fox University in Newberg, Ore., where he was a three-time team captain.
Green originally wanted to be a high school coach and teacher, but he couldn’t pass up opportunities to coach at the collegiate level, he said. Green’s stops include assistant spots at Seattle U and Idaho State before joining Newlee at Idaho.
Now, Green, Newlee and the Vandals continue their near-perfect WAC season in pursuit of a second straight WAC Championship.
“It’s an amazing job to work with Jon and Christa and Kristi. They’re an amazing coaching staff,” Green said. “It’s a blessing to come to work every day. It’s also a blessing to come work with this team. They’re truly one of the best team’s I’ve been around and I love showing up to work every day.”
Stephan Wiebe can be reached at [email protected]