Belton, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor has hired Jordan Cox as the school's new head men's golf coach, UMHB Vice-President for Athletics Randy Mann announced on Tuesday. Cox will assume those duties in January as he finishes out the semester at Shiloh Christian School in Springdale, Arkansas. Cox will replace Aaron Rodeffer. Rodeffer was promoted to Director of Facility Operations and Event Services in early August after leading the Cru to three American Southwest Conference Championships and three NCAA Division III National Championship appearances.
Cox is in the fifth season of his second stint as boy's and girl's golf coach at Shiloh Christian and his eighth overall at the school. He also serves as Dean of Students at Shiloh and is an instructor of U.S. Government. He led the Saints Boy's team to the 4A State Championship in 2014 and the Girl's team finished third at the State Championships. Cox was named 1-4A Boy's and Girl's Conference Coach of the Year and placed four student-athletes on the All-State Team. He also led the Saints to a pair of conference championships in his initial stint at Shiloh Christian. Cox sandwiched three years as Assistant Women's Golf Coach at Baylor University between his two stints at Shiloh. He helped lead the Lady Bears to back-to-back NCAA appearances, just the second and third postseason appearances in program history. Cox has also served as a certified instructor at the Heart Of Texas Golf Academy and passed the Professional Golfer's Association (PGA) of America's playing ability test in 2004.
"I am humbled by Coach Mann, Dr. (Steve) Theodore, and the administration at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor for extending me this opportunity. I'm grateful for their confidence in my abilities and desire to serve. I'm so appreciative of leadership that is continually committed to the Christian institutional mission of UMHB and am thankful for the chance to contribute to that end," Cox said. "I'm thrilled to be the successor to Coach Aaron Rodeffer, with whom I have had friendship for years and for whom I have great respect. He has constructed a tremendous program on foundations established by Coach Mann and Coach Mac Hickerson before him and I hope to continue that tradition.
UMHB has recruited some outstanding young men to the golf program and I'm looking forward to working with them as part of The Cru and in the future bringing others to continue to grow an already very successful program. I'm thrilled to be a part of the UMHB family."
Cox has also been a sports pastor at several large Baptist churches in Texas and Arkansas and served as the Executive Director of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame from 1994-97. He was the Director of Communications and Training for Upward Unlimited, Inc. and also served as an adjunct professor at Baylor University. Cox also spent time in radio and television at KWTX-TV in Waco and KRDO in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He is an award-winning broadcast and radio play-by-play announcer who served as the original "Voice of the Lady Bears" at Baylor University. Cox is a 1986 graduate of Baylor with a degree in Radio/TV/Film and he earned a Master's Degree in American Studies from Baylor in 2011. Cox and his wife, Kristy, have two daughters, Jordan Lee and Ryley.
"We are thrilled to add a man of Jordan's character and experience to our coaching staff," Cru Vice-President for Athletics Randy Mann said. "I've known Jordan Cox for a long-time and he is a great fit for the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. I am looking forward to him taking over a successful program and helping it reach even greater heights."
Bill Euler will serve as Interim Head Coach of the UMHB men's golf program for the fall 2015 season. Euler is the PGA Head Golf Professional at Wildflower Country Club in Temple and has 33 years of experience as a PGA professional. He won a TAPPS 3-A State Championship during a five-year tenure as head golf coach at Holy Trinity Catholic School and has also coached at Central Texas Christian School. Euler was named 2005 Northern Texas PGA – Metro Chapter Golf Professional of the Year.
