MORGANTOWN — Jordan McCabe is back home now, well, what he considers one of his two homes.
He is an assistant coach at Wisconsin Green Bay, now under the tutelage of former broadcaster-turned-head-coach Doug Gottleib. The school is located about 40 minutes away from where he grew up in Kaukauna.
“To me, I’ll always have two homes, Wisconsin and West Virginia,” said McCabe, who played three seasons at WVU from 2018-2021 and was an assistant hoops coach at the school last year under Josh Eilert. “I grew up so much and learned so much about myself in West Virginia. It means the world to me to say that West Virginia is my home, too.”
It’s that season as a WVU assistant where we begin, because it was simply a year most want to forget.
WVU set a program record with 23 losses, but that doesn’t tell the story.
Starting point guard Kerr Kriisa was suspended nine games by the NCAA for receiving improper benefits. Jose Perez was removed from the team before the season even began. Starting center Jesse Edwards missed a month with a wrist injury.
Akok Akok missed time after collapsing to the floor in an exhibition game. RaeQuan Battle missed the first 10 games while battling the NCAA for his eligibility, a battle that took a federal court ruling to win.
“Yeah, it was a tough draw,” McCabe said. “I still believe things could have been different if we were under normal circumstances, but we didn’t see a lot of normal last season.”
That staff has all moved on. Eilert is an assistant at Utah. Da’Sean Butler is with the Boston Celtics in a video coordinator/player development role. Alex Ruoff is an assistant with the Greensboro Swarm of the NBA G League.
It’s relayed to McCabe that there is a feeling of sorrow for that bunch in that they were dealt a bad hand.
“Let me sort of stop you there,” he chimes in. “I tell people that we all knew what we were getting into and we were all extremely grateful for the opportunity we had. There’s no reason to feel sorry for us.
“Things didn’t work out the way we wanted them to, but I want people to know that we all worked extremely hard for the program and for the people of West Virginia. We appreciate the sentiments, but just understand that we aren’t sitting around with regrets.”
If the clock could be turned back and McCabe had been given the opportunity again — even with all of the obstacles that were thrown at the Mountaineers — he would have made the same choice.
“One hundred times over,” he said.
At 26, McCabe is back to doing what he loves and he’s still one of the youngest Division I assistant coaches in the country.
It is not a job he takes lightly.
“I used to be a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type of person, but not anymore,” he said. “Since I started coaching, it hits you how even the smallest detail can make a big difference. I’m now more of a to-do list guy now.”
That includes watching hours of film, but not always of games.
“After practice, I’ll watch film of the practice,” McCabe said.
The funny part is just how much detail-oriented McCabe has become.
Sure, he watches the players on the film and how they perform in certain drills, but his eyes are now trained to catch everything, including what most people would consider insignificant.
“I actually keep track of where our water bottles are during practice,” McCabe said. “When I was a player, I was throwing them around. As a coach, we’re trying to create a better atmosphere, so I’m watching film of where our water bottles are.”
Having gone through that difficult season at WVU did not curb McCabe’s passion for basketball.
“If anything, it lit a fire,” he said. “I think I needed a kick in the butt. I realized just how many guys out there have been in this profession for decades and how much work they put into it.
“Last year inspired me to work even harder. I learned to change my focus. I had to be hungry again to become the best coach I can be. That’s my new obsession.”
Hence his compulsion on knowing where the water bottles are.
That focus, McCabe admits, doesn’t always make it with him outside of the gym.
There are wedding bells in his near future. His fiancé, Olivia, a West Virginia girl who McCabe met while in college at WVU, is handling most of the arrangements.
“I’d say she’s taking on about 98% and I’ve got the other 2%,” McCabe said.
Their wedding is planned for next May in Wisconsin.
“Honestly, all I’ve got to do is schedule the party bus, and I haven’t even looked into it yet,” McCabe said. “I guess that shows you I still have a little bit of work to do.”
