JORDAN RALLIES BUTLER FAMILY IN RETURN
New hoops coach incorporates teammate’s legacy
Christi Cornette I NDIANAPOLIS hadn’t dreamed about her son, Joel, since he died suddenly on that awful night last August.
So when Joel came to her in a dream last month, she figured it must signal something special. She hoped it meant good news for one of Joel’s former teammates who acted like Joel’s big brother: LaVall Jordan. That week, Jordan interviewed for the head coaching job at his and Joel’s alma mater — Butler.
“I just knew that Val was gonna get that job; I just knew it,” Christi told USA TODAY Sports. “I knew it before it was even announced, before we even talked to Val. ... I can’t even explain the feeling. It was like Joel was there, rooting for him.
“I just knew in my heart that he was gonna get that job. I knew it.”
By the time they received word that Jordan would, indeed, return to Hinkle Fieldhouse, Christi and her husband, Big Joel, were beyond excited. As were their sons, Jordan and Jonathan, who have worked relentlessly this past year to keep Joel’s memory alive.
To see Jordan — whose most recent visit to Hinkle had been to speak at Joel’s celebration of life ceremony — get the job at the school Joel loved more than anything, well, it was nothing short of incredible. Jordan Cornette cried, for the brother everyone else calls Joel but he still calls Joey.
“I knew how excited Joey would have been about that opportunity for LaVall,” Jordan Cornette said. “I know how much that program means to him and what he means to that program, so for all those things to align, it was very emotional for me.
“I felt like Joey was smiling from up above.”
Said Jordan: “He’s a big part of this — probably more than we all know.” JOEL WAS ‘GO-TO GUY’ The last time Jordan had seen Joel in person was during the Final Four in 2016. Jordan had just interviewed for what eventually become his first head coaching gig, at Milwaukee. Joel told him, “This is your job. You’re the guy.” And, per usual, he was right.
“It was just like Joel did with everybody,” Jordan said. “He made you feel like you couldn’t lose.”
Butler and the Cornette family lost Joel early in the morning of Aug. 16. One of the players who helped fuel Butler’s rise from typical midmajor to national basketball brand died from coronary atherosclerosis at age 35. Cornette had not had any previous heart complications.
Jordan grew emotional during his speech at Cornette’s Hinkle memorial last summer. Jordan had been two years older, he’d been the team’s captain — but Cornette was his go-to guy, much like Cornette was for so many others. He was their rock.
“He challenged all of us to dream big,” Jordan said that day. “He was the first person to say we could win the national championship at Butler. He changed the mind-set of this place.
“They say legacy is not what you accomplish but what you set in motion. So when I look up and see the banners that came after Joel was gone, I know that his legacy lives on.” BUTLER CULTURE CARRIES ON Jordan, 38, was introduced as Butler’s new head coach last month after a brief but late coaching search conducted by athletics director Barry Collier, who had been Jordan’s coach at Butler. Jordan’s predecessor, Chris Holtmann, had left for Ohio State after the Buckeyes decided to take the uncommon step of changing leadership after the end of the spring recruiting period.
The first call Jordan made after his introductory news conference that day was to Joel’s parents. They rejoiced together and spoke of how they believed they had a certain someone up in heaven pulling some strings to make this dream a reality.
“He said, ‘Mr. Cornette, when I got the position, I knew Joel was out there setting picks and making things possible for me to get that coaching job,’ ” Big Joel said. He and his wife laughed.
As soon as that call ended, Jordan knew he had to get to work. He had to accelerate the timeline of everything a new coach would do: develop relationships with ex- isting players, hire assistants, figure out a recruiting plan for July and prepare for Butler’s upcoming trip to Spain. He has made major headway on most of those areas, and his wife, Destinee, is handling the rest, essentially — the house, the kids, schools, etc. She’s from Indianapolis, so, truly, this is a homecoming for the entire family.
As he settles into his new role as the head coach of his alma mater, Jordan will rely on what he learned about himself during his one year as Milwaukee’s head coach and what he has gained from the coaches he has played for and those he has worked for, such as Collier and Todd Lickliter.
Jordan has specifically cited Michigan coach John Beilein, with whom he worked for six years, as a great example of head coach as CEO. He said he feels fortunate to have gotten to see how and why Beilein handled certain situations the way he did.
One thing Jordan doesn’t have to worry about is the culture at Butler. Perhaps more than any other college basketball program in the country, it has remained strong and steady throughout decades of players coming in and out. Jordan said his role is only to encourage it to continue and to let the players take ownership of it. Let it be the same source of pride it was for Jordan and his teammates more than a decade ago.
And no one was prouder of the Butler program and the Butler family than Joel Cornette.
“Because Val is who he is, Joel will always be a part of this, and Val will make sure of that,” Christi Cornette said. “Whether it’s wearing the bracelet or keeping in close contact with us, he’ll always make Joel, as well as our family, a part of it. That’s just who he is.
“He won’t let anyone forget Joel, trust me. He will work as hard as we are going to work to keep that memory alive.”