Jordan Livesay Tetley could not have imagined the impact the University of North Georgia (UNG) would have in her life when she made her way to Dahlonega from Woodstock, Georgia, as a freshman.
Years later, UNG continues to shape her life in major ways. Tetley played basketball for four years under head coach Buffie Burson, then worked two more for Burson as a graduate assistant while earning a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree and one year as an assistant coach for Burson. Tetley graduated with her MPA in August 2019. Tetley was named Alpharetta High School head girls basketball coach in July 2020.
For a former player early in her coaching career, Tetley learned from Burson, who she considers an ideal leader. Tetley tries to emulate Burson's servant leadership mentality.
"I love her leadership style, and I try to follow her footsteps in everything," Tetley said. "She truly is the best role model I could have picked to learn from and follow every day."
Tetley learned leadership as a freshman at UNG from teammates Jaymee Carnes Acton and Mimi Hill, who were seniors at the time. Acton is now an assistant coach for Burson.
Then, Tetley was surprised to be selected as team captain by Burson before her sophomore season.
"It made me feel good that Coach Burson had that confidence in me that I could be that person," Tetley said. "I grew so much starting from that year on."
Tetley was a captain for her final three seasons at UNG. She took part in the Student-Athlete Advisory Council and Leadership Academy as a player, experiences she said prepared her to be a graduate assistant.
Once she wrapped up her senior season by scoring her 1,000th point in the closing minutes of her final game, Tetley pursued an MPA with an eye on a coaching career before an eventual move into athletics administration. She was unsure what it would be like not to be a player. It turns out her graduate assistant seasons coincided with the most successful two-year run in the UNG women's basketball program's NCAA Division II history.
"I thought I would be lost without being able to play, but being able to coach these girls with Coach Burson and Jaymee has been amazing," Tetley said. "That's one of my most proud accomplishments is being a part of what we've done these last two years."
Then, in her one year as a full-time assistant for Burson, the team won 26 games and reached the NCAA Division II tournament for a third straight year before the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I've learned so much from her, just how to be a good person and how to treat people the right way and also how to win," Tetley said.
