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PROVO — One of the first times Jordan Loera connected with BYU women's basketball coach Amber Whiting, it didn't feel like a job interview.
Sure, Loera knew the Cougars were looking for a new assistant coach shortly after Morgan Bailey moved from her alma mater to the University of Utah. But when the two women got together via phone, they didn't talk as much hoops, recruiting strategy, or basketball operations as Loera might have expected.
"We talked for a long time, and it was about everything," Loera told KSL.com. "It was about the sport, but also things outside of basketball — just really learning about each other.
"I think through that, your personality comes out. We were laughing, and we got kind of off topic about the job, but I think you want people around you just to have that family aspect. I think her personality revealed her passion for the game and for this team, and it really popped out initially."
For Whiting, the word that came back to her was fairly singular: relationships.
Loera admits she's a people person, and Whiting saw her as the perfect fit for an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator as the Cougars depart on their second season in the Big 12, picked to finish 12th in the 16-team league after a 32-33 overall record in two seasons under Whiting.
"Jordan has a gift for connecting with players, recruits and our staff," Whiting said in a statement from the university. "She has a great basketball mind, is focused on winning and has already built great chemistry with me and my staff which will be important as we enter our second season in the Big 12. Jordan is someone who can help our players reach their full potential on and off the court."
After a standout career at Oregon from 2011-16 where the 5-foot-9 point guard from Moses Lake, Washington, played in 112 games and set a Ducks program record for most 3-pointers by a freshman, Loera initially stepped away from basketball for a time to work, to travel, and to see the world. Her time away helped her see the game from a new level.
She'll work plenty with the guards at BYU, a group that includes rising sophomore Amari Whiting, four-star freshman Delaney Gibb and graduate transfer Kemery Congdon (née Martin), a year after losing two of the team's top scorers and top rebounder in Lauren Gustin (graduation) and Kailey Woolston (church mission).
But in addition to her role as recruiting coordinator — where Loera has already taken several trips to visit, watch and scout prospects — she'll also have a hand in developing BYU's post players, including returning starter Emma Calvert, senior transfer Kendra Gillispie and incoming freshman Sarah Bartholomew. It's not a matter of "shooters" and "non-shooters," she is quick to defend.
"If you put the work in and miss a shot, big deal; go hit the next one," Loera said. "Those are the types of conversations we have as coaches."
A licensed teacher who also taught officiating classes while earning a master's degree in public administration at Southern Utah, Loera eventually came back to hoops with the Thunderbirds and took a job as an assistant coach at Eastern Washington.
By her third season in Cheney, Loera helped the Eagles to a program and Big Sky-record 29 wins, a conference title, and a trip to the NCAA Tournament — the program's first since 1987. Working with the guards, Eastern Washington set program marks for total points scored (2,392) and fewest turnovers per game (11.5).
But more importantly were the people, she adds.
"It comes down to relationships," Loera said. "I have my family to thank for that; we grew up super close and tight-knit, with grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles all in the same area.
"It's also important in recruiting. You want student-athletes to feel great about stepping away from home and joining a new family.
"As a coaching staff, we got there together three years ago and built the program up together. We were really fortunate after our second year to not lose a lot of players, which is very rare nowadays. But we had the same core, and created a culture of relationships around the mindset of girls that wanted to work — and wanted to win. … The seniority of that team was able to pick themselves up and win a lot of games. It was awesome to see those girls achieve that."
At the heart of that culture was a relationship — player-to-player, coach-to-coach, and coach-to-player — that led to success.
"I think it does fall back on relationships," Loera said. "We realize that every player is different, every player is coached a little differently, and every player just needs something different — on the court and off the court. As a group, we emphasized conversations with every player … being approached and letting those girls know they could come to us with anything."
