Groves High appoints Howard Jordan as head football coach amid program overhaul
Howard Jordan takes over a struggling football program that has lost 16 consecutive games, bringing a background in strength and conditioning to a school seeking revitalisation.
Groves High School has appointed Howard Jordan as its new head football coach, effective immediately, replacing Calvin Wells who led the programme for the previous four seasons. The 36-year-old veteran assistant coach arrives with a mandate to revitalise a football department that has endured significant competitive decline, including a 16-game losing streak and a 0-10 record in the previous season.
Jordan’s appointment comes as the school prepares for a structural shift in its athletic classification, moving from Class 3A to Class 5A next season. The coaching change is viewed by administration as a strategic move to stabilise the programme ahead of this transition. Jordan, who previously played at Turner County and Concord University, brings a coaching résumé that includes roles as a defensive coordinator and assistant head coach at several institutions, most recently Westside-Macon.
The Groves Rebels have struggled to find consistency on the field, with their last playoff appearance occurring in 2010 under former coach Greg Hunter. The team’s last winning season dates back to 2014, when they finished 6-4 under Mike Martin. Athletic Director Kevin Evans cited Jordan’s energy and ability to relate to students as primary factors in the hiring decision, noting that the new coach possesses the schemes and game knowledge required to elevate the team.
Beyond football, Jordan will assume coaching duties for the wrestling and track and field teams. His background includes a strong athletic foundation as a two-time state wrestling champion at Turner County, where he won titles at 171 and 189 pounds. His coaching experience also features three years as an assistant at Irwin County, where the team reached the state finals three times and secured a state title in 2019.
Jordan has indicated that his focus will be on player development through training, leveraging his specialisation in strength and conditioning. He stated that he sees significant potential in the current roster, describing the athletes as having "a lot of good athletes here and a lot of big bodies." The appointment marks a definitive break from the recent past, as the school seeks to restore competitiveness in a programme that has not won more than two games since 2014.
