Jordan Hunt has always been a Napavine guy. He was a ball boy in elementary school. A student athlete throughout high school. As an adult, he was an assistant high school coach and head middle school coach.
Now, the 32-year-old former point guard has found a new home at Rainier — and his first high school heading coaching gig. He’ll begin the summer leading the Mountaineers varsity girls basketball team.
Hunt announced his acceptance of the position on Facebook on Monday, May 26.
“I have some exciting news!” Hunt wrote. “I have accepted the Rainier High School Girls Head coaching position. Right now it is only a coaching position, but if/when a teaching opportunity opens at Rainier, which I am hoping it will, I plan to transition there as both a teacher and coach.”
Hunt spoke with the Nisqually Valley News about his new role on Friday.
“I’ve always been fond of the Rainier community,” Hunt said. “I’ve had the opportunity to coach in select (leagues) some players from that area and every single experience I’ve had with Rainier has been positive.”
Hunt has taught at Napavine for 10 years, while working as an assistant for high school girls basketball coach, and Napavine superintendent, Shane Schutz, and most recently as the middle school coach for both the boys and girls.
“It really just came down to this is an opportunity for me to grow and so far, it’s been fantastic,” Hunt said of his new position at Rainier. “I’ve met a lot of people from Rainier. Everyone’s super supportive. Everyone’s just good people, (the) players are good. Coach Blair, my assistant, just from what I’ve gotten to know her, she’s phenomenal.”
Hunt also pointed out Ben Sheaffer, the boys head coach, and Rob Henry, the athletic director.
Despite taking over a new team, Hunt said he’s familiar with just about every returning player on his roster. As a coach for the Roots U-14 girls select team, Hunt scrimmages against a handful of Rainier players from the U-16 team. He has also coached Lexi Beckman, Rainier’s returning post player.
The Mountaineers are losing plenty of talent heading into the 2025-26 season, including All-Central 2B League players Angelica Askey, Brooklynn Swenson, Bryn Beckman and Janess Blackburn. The four seniors led Rainier to its first district title since 2011. The team finished with a final record of 20-5.
Napavine, meanwhile, won the state championship in 2024. This year, the Tigers finished third. While Hunt wasn’t on the varsity coaching staff, he said he’s had a front-row seat to Coach Schutz’s success.
“I’ve seen how hard you can get players to work and to buy in,” Hunt said. “I’ve seen what that looks like. I’ve seen what it takes development wise to prepare players skill-based wise, but also even bigger than that, developing player IQ and understanding of the game.”
Hunt isn’t fond of the word rebuild when it comes to sports teams, saying a team is never really built. But he knows he’s inheriting a young squad.
“I think they’re young and they don’t have a ton of experience at this level, but neither do I, so it’s something we can share and kind of build on together,” Hunt said. “And I think this team, come February, has every chance to be successful by the time we get to when it really counts. So, in the meantime, it’s just about growing and developing every day, developing our culture. Learning to be positive and work hard, and just that mindset to grow every day.”
