Grayling Gordon enters his fifth year as the head basketball coach at Purdue North Central.
Gordon, 39, led the young Panther program to the most wins in school history in two of the past three seasons and is looking for the Panthers to have a breakout season in 2006-07.
In 2004-05 PNC finished 10-21 overall, after finishing 10-20 in 2003-04. Last year, in a season marred by injuries, the Panthers finished 7-25. However, Gordon led the team to their first-ever post season tournament victory despite losing Adam Dobrzniecki, the 2004-05 Conference Player of the Year and an Honorable Mention All-American, to a season-ending knee injury. In Gordon's first year the Panthers finished 3-26, after not having a recruiting class.
Gordon expects the program to continue to grow as the Panthers are in their infant stages of competing at the NAIA level after recently making the transition from a club program.
Gordon began his coaching career at the University of Dubuque as an assistant under his college coach Jon Davison during the 1989-90 season. That year the Spartans won the Iowa Conference Championship and received an NCAA Tournament bid.
Gordon then moved on to Clarion University , a Division II program in Pennsylvania , where he served as an assistant coach in charge of guard and wing play for three years. Clarion averaged 18 wins per season during Gordon's tenure as an assistant.
In 1993 Gordon returned to Dubuque as the head men's basketball coach where he served until 1997.
From 1997 until 2000 Gordon returned to his roots in Northwest Indiana where he served in various educational/mentoring programs and athletic programs.
Prior to coming to PNC Gordon served for two seasons as an assistant coach at Purdue Calumet.
Gordon was a leader both on and off the court at the University of Dubuque (IA), where he graduated from in 1989 with a degree in Economics and Business. As a junior he led the 1987-88 squad to the Iowa Conference Championship and the NCAA Tournament.
During his senior year Gordon was named the team's MVP and was named All-Conference. That year he also became a member of the exclusive the 1,000 point club.
Recently in 2004, Gordon received the University's highest athletic honor by being inducted into Dubuque 's Athletic Hall of Fame.
Gordon completed his Master of Arts degree in Athletics Administration and Physical Education from Slippery Rock University in 1994. He attended East Chicago (IN) Washington High School where he was a point guard for the 1984-85 team that made it to the Indiana Final Four.
Grayling, who also serves as an Assistant Director of Admissions at PNC, has two children, Jalyssa (16) and Craig (5) and resides in East Chicago. |