While the Jordan High boys’ basketball team pursues a spot in the CIF-SS playoffs, they’ll be doing so without their head coach.
The last time Chris Francis led his team was during J-Town’s 62-59 win at Wilson on Jan. 14, and there is currently no timeline for his return.
Jordan boys’ athletic director Josh Dozier stated that Francis is “away from the team indefinitely” following their buzzer-beating win over Cabrillo on Wednesday night.
When contacted about his absence, Francis declined to comment.
An LBUSD spokesperson issued the following statement in regards to Jordan’s current coaching situation:
“Jordan High School’s boys’ varsity basketball head coach is currently unavailable to lead the team. During this time, Jamaul Huff will serve as interim head coach. The District’s priority remains supporting our student-athletes and ensuring continuity of our athletic programs. We continue to support Jordan’s basketball team in their pursuit of making the playoffs.”
This is Francis’ fifth season as head coach of the Panthers, after his hiring in the summer of 2021. He took over a program coming off four straight losing seasons, and quickly revived the Panthers into prominence.
Jordan won the Moore League title in his second season, and went on to claim the CIF-SS Division 4A title to wrap up a historic 2023 campaign. That CIF title was the fourth in program history, and the first since 1996.
“It’s super tough, man. We love our coach. The kids love our coach,” said Huff after Jordan’s win against Cabrillo on Wednesday night. “I’ve been under Coach for like seven years. He’s my mentor, I’m his protege, and everything that we all know is from Coach. Even that (game-winning) play, even to the last design of everything we do, it’s a Chris Francis vision. I’m just trying to follow in the footsteps, coach hard, and live up to the standard of Long Beach Jordan Basketball–and that’s winning.”
The Panthers have gone 2-3 in Francis’ absence, with two games left on their regular season schedule, including a game Friday night at Long Beach Poly. The team’s leading scorer, junior Aaron Chiles, expressed how the team is navigating the challenge of being without their head coach for the homestretch of the season.
“It’s just resilience,” said Chiles, after his 21-point performance vs. Cabrillo. “You know, we don’t have a head coach. It hurts. It hurts a lot. But it just shows that we’re a resilient team. And like he always said, ‘The show must go on.’ No matter what, missing a player, missing a coach, it doesn’t matter. We have to keep playing, and we’re doing it for him.”
