Flora Takes Over Lady Eagles Program

New Sullivan girls head basketball coach Jordan Flora graduated from St. Clair, but coaching for his alma mater’s biggest rival doesn’t feel strange.

“I’ve had that question a lot, but honestly, it’s not,” said Flora, a 2008 all-state guard and former Four Rivers Conference Player of the Year. Flora has been at Sullivan for six years, spent the last five working alongside boys head coach Dino McKinney and three seasons coaching the Sullivan middle school team. 

“I love it,” he says about Sullivan. “This is a close knit group of teachers and coaches.” 

He takes over for Jason Merkel, who left the sidelines to focus on his administrative position after 13 seasons. Flora inherits a program that has won two straight district championships and six overall since 2006.

After coaching at the middle school level, he’s already familiar with most of the players. 

“I had quite a few of these girls and have a good relationship with all of them,” Flora said.

Following five seasons on the bench with McKinney, Flora has learned a lot. 

“Dino has some of the craziest — and I mean this in a positive  way — defenses,” he said. “They are unreal. He can maneuver a defense and throw a team team off. They are unorthodox defenses.” 

Flora describes McKinney’s practices as “super intense” and how he was able to “get the boys going and working hard” each day.

“I loved being Dino’s assistant,” Flora said. “He taught me a lot through the years.”

Flora’s appreciation of defense aligns with what Merkel hammered into his teams. 

“I was brought up with you win games on the defense end,” he said, noting that it’s his top priority. “If we lose, it won’t be because we got out-hustled. You bust your butt, talk and work as hard as you can.”

After graduating from St. Clair, Flora moved on to play four years collegiately at Missouri Baptist University. He graduated with a degree in physical education and earned a job as a paraprofessional at Sullivan, then moved up as a teacher one year later.

Basketball has been his passion since he was young.

“The love of the game,” said Flora about why he decided to pursue coaching. “That’s all I’ve known. I played since second grade. I enjoy (coaching) more than playing. It’s a different position. You have to break the game down more. It’s a whole new perspective.”