Former Jacksonville University women's basketball standout Kayla Gordon joined the JU coaching staff in July 2021.
"We are elated to have Kayla rejoin us here in Dolphin country," said Head Coach
Darnell Haney. "Her track record speaks for itself as a player here at JU and professionally.
"As an ASUN Freshman of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and multi-time All-Conference selection during her career here, she knows what it takes to continually seek excellence on the floor."
Gordon spent three seasons at the professional level, and most recently played professionally overseas with Vimpelin Veto in the Finland Korisliiga. During the 2020-21 season, she averaged 19.4 PPG and 17.4 RPG and shot 49% from the floor in 23 games. During her tenure abroad, she also spent parts of the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons with GS Kronos Agiou Dimitriou in the Greek A1 League and was also with Carnide Clube/Holos in the Portugal-Liga Feminina for 15 games during the 2019-20 season and averaged 18.9 PPG, 19.4 RPG and shot 47% from the field.
Before turning pro, Gordon had a stellar four-year career as a Dolphin and was a member of JU's 2015-16 ASUN Tournament Championship team. In her final season during the 2017-18 campaign, she averaged 12.1 PPG and 9.6 RPG ad shot 53% from the field and was named the ASUN's Defensive Player of the Year and to the All-Conference First Team. In her debut season in 2014-15, she was named the ASUN's Freshman of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Freshman Team, averaging 8.8 PPG and 7.4 RPG while posting a 54% shooting mark.
For her career, Gordon stands near the top of the JU record books in several categories. She is the program's career leader in rebounds with 1,031 and the only player to reach the 1,000-board plateau. Gordon ranks first all-time with 450 career offensive rebounds and ranks second all-time on the defensive glass with 581 rebounds. Her 1,225 points scored are the fourth-most all-time in program history, while her .522 career field goal percentage and 474 career field goals made are good for third and fifth-best respectively. Gordon also ranks among the top 10 all time in free throws made (276, T-6
th) and free throw attempts (406, 4
th). A mainstay in the lineup throughout her time in a JU uniform, Gordon ranks fourth in program history with 123 games played.
"Kayla is an excellent role model with a work ethic and character that is going to help elevate our program," said Haney. "She is a natural teacher of the game and is going to be a star in this profession."
