From a college basketball player at Marian University to a girls basketball coach at Speedway High School to now the interim head basketball coach for the Cards, for Jordan Dever, every step of his journey has been a little different. 

“As a player I always felt like I could control things, but as a coach you have to put it in the hands of young men and women,” Dever said. 

Dever received a scholarship to play basketball at Marian University, where he played all four years. After he graduated, he started teaching at Speedway High School. There he coached the girls basketball team, beginning his coaching career.

Even after all these years, Dever still remembers the first game he coached: a JV girls game against Cardinal Ritter.

“I absolutely remember it,” Dever said. “A lot of nerves and anxiousness.” 

After Dever spent 10 years at Speedway, he moved to SHS, and the boys head coach Eric Brand invited Dever to join his coaching staff as an assistant. Dever accepted. 

Before this basketball season began, Brand was suspended by the IHSAA for recruiting violations. Brand was suspended for the first two games of the season and all the games of this season after Jan. 1. Someone needed to step up, and Dever’s name was called.

“I’ve been here before, been a head coach,” Dever said. “You slide one seat over, but coach Brand has given me full authority to do things how I choose to do things during games.”

According to Dever, Brand has confidence in him, and that goes a long way. However, despite this confidence, Dever has found himself struggling to find ways to give players breaks throughout games, just one more factor he has to manage as a head coach.

“Our lack of depth hurts us a little bit,” Dever said. “We are monitoring minutes and finding ways to give them breaks here and there.” 

Even with those struggles, the Cards are currently 4-4 with Dever as their head coach, adding key wins over PMHS in the first game of the season on Nov. 26 and Roncalli High School on Jan. 14. According to Dever, the key to their recent success is the growing chemistry between players.

“The kids are starting to come together, (and) they are gelling,” Dever said. “The longer they play together, the better they are going to be.”