Colgate Men’s Basketball Head Coach Matt Langel has announced the addition of Mike Jordan to his staff as an assistant coach.
Jordan returns to Colgate after spending the 2020-21 season as an assistant coach at Drexel, where he helped guide the Dragons to their first Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) championship and first NCAA tournament appearance in 25 years.
“I have known MJ for 25+ years,” Langel said. “In basketball and life, we have experienced lots together. MJ has and will always be part of my family. I am ecstatic to have him back in Hamilton as part of our Colgate Basketball Family. He has time and again proven the positive impact he can have on individuals, teams, and a community. I look forward to getting to work with him again on a daily basis.”
Jordan Carried Championship Success to Drexel
In his first season at Drexel, Jordan helped develop two All-CAA student-athletes, including Camren Wynter, who was a First Team selection and named a finalist for the Lou Henson National Player of the Year award.
The Dragons won their conference tournament with postseason wins over the College of Charleston, Northeastern, and Elon. Drexel secured a No. 16 seed in the NCAA tournament and took on Illinois in the first round in Indianapolis.
Helped Build Colgate Men’s Basketball Culture
Jordan spent eight seasons as an assistant for the Raiders from 2012-20. He joined the program one year after Langel arrived, and was on staff when Colgate captured its first Patriot League championship and NCAA tournament appearance in 23 years in 2018-19.
“Not often in life do you get the opportunity to work with one of your best friends,” Jordan said. “I’m excited to get back to Colgate with our players, the staff, and the Hamilton community.
“I would like to thank Coach Spiker, Associate AD Nick Gannon, & the Drexel men’s basketball players for giving me the opportunity to experience a season that will be remembered. We were able to do something that hadn’t been done in 25 years.”
Jordan was in Hamilton for three straight record-breaking seasons that saw Colgate set program records for win totals each year from 2017-20. Two of those seasons featured back-to-back 20-win seasons – the first two in program history – and a pair of Patriot League regular season championships.
Professional Career
Prior to Colgate, Jordan enjoyed an extensive professional basketball career. In 2000, before Jordan went to play in Europe, he was a member of the Philadelphia 76ers for the summer league and was also a member of the Boston Celtics preseason team.
While in Europe, Jordan played in nine different countries from 2000 to 2011. He was a two-time champion and All-Star in the German Bundesliga League, while also being named an All-Star in the Italian A1 league.
Big 5 Hall of Famer
Before his professional career, Jordan was a three-time First Team All-Ivy League selection for the University of Pennsylvania and a teammate of Langel’s with the Quakers. The two helped Penn win two Ivy League titles in 1999 and 2000.
Jordan garnered a pair of individual honors during his career, garnering Ivy League Player of the Year in 2000 after earning Rookie of the Year honors in 1996. Langel and Jordan were First Team selections together in 2000.
Jordan finished his career with 1,604 career points, which ranks sixth all-time at Penn. Jordan is also third all-time with 461 career assists and ninth in career 3-pointers with 173. He was named to the Big 5 Hall of Fame in 2014.
A Philadelphia native, Jordan graduated from Penn in 2000 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology (Deviance & Law). Jordan was also a member of the Friars Senior Society and a TV Host of UTV13 while at Penn.
Personal
Jordan and his wife, Katie, have three daughters: Eva Alice, Bella Ann, and Jayla Marie.
https://gocolgateraiders.com/news/2021/6/1/jordan-returns-to-mens-basketball-as-assistant-coach.aspx
