Christy Jordan joined the Longwood women's basketball staff as director of operations in July, 2019. She oversees all the logistical aspects of the team, and the team has reached new heights in her two years on staff.
In year two, the team finished a program-best third in the Big South while posting its best Big South winning percentage (.667), highest Big South finish (No. 3) and highest overall winning percentage (.560). In addition, the team tied a program record for overall wins (14) since joining the Big South in 2012-13. The team also finished went 14-11 to finish above .500 for the first time since the 2007-08 season. In addition, the team received an invitation to its first Division I postseason tournament with a bid to the Women’s Basketball Invitational.
On an individual level, five players received postseason honors from the Big South, with Akila Smith being named the Big South Defensive Player of the Year after finishing in the top five in the NCAA in blocks and blocks per game. She also had a triple-double while setting the single-season, career and single game blocks records all in one year. Kyla McMakin and Smith were both named to the All-Big South first team, with McMakin leading the league in scoring for a second straight season. Point guard Tra’Dayja Smith also earned an honorable mention nod from the Big South.
In her first season on staff, the team achieved one of the biggest turnarounds in the nation from the year prior.
In 2019-20, the Lancers won nine more games than the year before, good for the 12th biggest turnaround in the NCAA, and also hosted a playoff game for the first time in team history in the first round of the Big South Championship Tournament.
The Lancers saw multiple All-Big South selections with Kyla McMakin nabbing a first team spot and Dayna Rouse garnering a spot on the second team. McMakin led the conference in scoring on the way to being named the Big South Freshman of the Year. Plus, the team broke multiple records, with forward Akila Smith shattering the single-season blocks record with 74 shot blocks and point guard Tra'Dayja Smith posting the single-season assists record with 188.
A 2019 graduate of Old Dominion with a degree in criminal justice, Jordan came to Longwood after serving as a four-year manager of the Old Dominion women's basketball program. She was the team's head manager for an Old Dominion team that went 21-11 overall in 2018-19 en route to a bid into the WNIT.
In her role at ODU, Jordan was responsible for the supervision of members of the scout team and other managers for daily practices. Her responsibilities included handling of film equipment along with editing game and practice film. In addition, Jordan assisted the Old Dominion director of operations with travel plans, while assisting with summer camps.Â
