Jordan ‘ecstatic’ and ‘doing backflips’ after ending 59-game losing streak

Today’s Four Questions interviewee is first-year Jordan coach Chad Martin, whose team ended a 59-game losing streak last week with a 35-20 victory over Greenville. The losing streak was the second-longest in state history behind Glascock County’s 82-game streak from the 1990s (officially 62 games because of a forfeit victory). Martin, a Gordon Central and Shorter University graduate, has been in coaching since 2008 and has worked at eight high schools in Georgia and Alabama and counts John Starr, former Chattooga and Josey coach, as his mentor.

1. How would you describe the reaction to this victory starting with the players the moment it happened to others since then?

“The players were ecstatic and emotional. One of my seniors has never won a game in his career in middle school and high school, and he just cried and cried. Others were doing backflips and just euphoric. Since then, the community has come alive, and I have realized that it has meant so much to so many people. The outpouring of joy and support has been incredible.”

2. What do you feel that you and your staff did that has given you the most results in terms of making Jordan a competitive team in the short time you’ve been there?

“From Day One, we took a mentality that it was ‘Eyes Forward’ going into the season. We weren’t going to worry about the past or excuses. We would control what we can control and look forward to what we can get done as a team. More recently, we have been talking about kicking the door down. After the Terrell County game (a 20-15 loss on Sept. 3), I started telling them that they are knocking on the door, but no one is going to feel sorry for them and let them in. They were going to have to kick that door down. They really rallied around that.”

3. Why did you take the job? And it’s not your first time taking a program with a long losing streak. What does that say about you?

“Well, Jordan has been a place I have looked at for a while and been very interested in. There had been some talks between me and the former head coach about me coming to help him, but that had kind of fell flat, and I had taken the defensive coordinator job at the school I was at (Hardaway, also in Columbus). Then out of the blue, I got a call and was asked to apply. I did, and I interviewed, and then it just happened. I must be a glutton for punishment. Nah, but for real, there is something special about taking a job at a place that is in a low place and seeing the difference that can be made in the lives of so many around it. I think that is what attracted me to the situation.”