Savannah High names new basketball coach to follow retiring Tim Jordan
George Brown's first interaction with Tim Jordan came when Brown was a star guard on the Camden County basketball team that faced off with Jordan's Savannah High squad.
About a decade later, Brown is set to replace the Savannah legend as the head coach of the Blue Jacket program. Brown's hiring will be formally announced at a press conference at Savannah High Friday.
Brown, 29, went from Camden County to a stellar career at Armstrong State, where he earned a spot in the school's "Hall of Champions." He's been an assistant coach under Jordan at Savannah High for the last three seasons, helping the Blue Jackets reached the Sweet 16 last season.
He'll be replacing Jordan, who posted a record of 555-251 in 28 seasons as the Savannah High head coach. He led the Blue Jackets to the State Finals four times -- winning the 1998 Class 4A state championship. Those are big shoes to fill, but Brown said he has the right mindset for the challenge ahead.
"To be honest, I don't feel too much pressure because I know there will never be another Coach Jordan," Brown said. "Coach Jordan has been on the sideline for almost 40 years, and there's no way to live up to the legacy he's left here. That helps ease my mind. I know God makes no mistakes and I'm blessed to get this opportunity."
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Brown said that Jordan trusted his assistant coaches and gave them autonomy, which helped him develop.
"He gave me the opportunity to be a real coach," Brown said. "In one of my first games, he asked me what we should down in a tight game with 20 seconds left. That gave me confidence and prepared me to handle critical situations. You can't learn from a better mentor than Coach Jordan, he taught me all the tricks of the trade."
Brown said one of the main lessons he learned from coaching with Jordan was to instill discipline within the program.
"He also showed me his famous 4-1 press -- I'm going to use some of his strategies and add my own twists," Brown said.
Last year, Savannah High won 20 games for the first time since 2014, and the Blue Jackets reached the Sweet 16 of the Class A Division I playoffs. The Blue Jackets have a lot coming back, including All-Greater Savannah first-team pick Maki Joyner, now a junior guard, and Jermaine Edwards, a second-team selection last year as a junior.
Brown said he can't wait to get back to work with the talented, experienced group of players.
Jordan said Brown, who teaches physical education at Savannah High, is the perfect fit to take over the program.
"Coach Brown is a student of the game," said Jordan, who has taken a job as Assistant Athletic Facilities Program Coordinator with the Savannah Chatham County Public School System. "He always asked a lot of questions and he was never afraid to be wrong. The most important thing is the relationship he has with the players. I had a big generation gap with the kids, but he's younger and can relate with them better. He reminds me of myself when I was his age.
"Coach Brown doesn't play around with the kids -- he'll make them do all the right things," Jordan said. "I wouldn't have taken this new job if I didn't have a lot of confidence in him. I wasn't about to turn over my kids to just anyone -- Coach Brown is going to do a great job."
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Former Armstrong star George Brown named Savannah High boys basketball coach
