Keeping it in the family: Kurt and Jordan Penn taking on new athletics jobs next year

Senath-Hornersville athletic director and coach Kurt Penn, as well as his older brother, East Carter athletic director and basketball coach Jordan Penn, have both accepted new positions for the next school year.

Kurt will be returning home to Ellsinore, filling the shoes of his brother in coaching the East Carter High School basketball team. Jordan will step into the position of assistant athletic director at Poplar Bluff High School.

Kurt will soon complete his third full year at Senath-Hornersville. He began his career as an assistant coach under Jordan, a learning experience which he undertook for the three years prior.

“It’s funny,” Kurt said. “The kids at East Carter that are seniors now are actually the very first group I ever coached when they were in sixth grade, same as the juniors now who were fifth graders then. It’s kind of come full circle. I started with them, and I’ll get to finish with them, so that’s really exciting.”

He explained that it was hard to leave East Carter for the first time and that Ellsinore has always felt like home. It is also his fiancée’s alma mater and remains the home of much of their family. However, he felt as if it were time to prove to himself and everyone else that he was capable to running a program as head coach.

“My dream growing up was to be a head coach,” he said. “That’s where I started my career and I learned a lot from my brother, and it was tough to leave back then. And now I get to take over for my brother. It was an honor to coach under him and learn from him, and now I get to build upon that.”

In addition to his role as athletic director at Senath-Hornersville, Kurt has coached the boys basketball, cross country and golf teams, and he is the assistant baseball coach. He brought the sport of cross country to the school for the first time, and he revived the Lions’ boys golf program.

As coach of the basketball team, Penn’s Lions went 13-11 in 2021, 11-13 in 2022 and improved to an 18-9 record in 2023. It resulted in the most wins in a single season since 2004.

“We’ve had a lot of firsts,” Penn said. “In my first year, the seniors now won one game when they were playing JV. Then, we won our first district game in 20-something years. We came a long way and went through it all. It’s been amazing to watch it all come together as a family.”

And to Penn, that is more important than winning games.

“It’s tough,” Penn said of his decision to leave. “The way I like to coach is to be very personable with the kids. I want to have a good relationship with them, and I was happy to create that here. I told them recently that I’ll be their coach forever, and I’ve built some friendships here that will last a lifetime.”

He explained that his move to Senath from Ellsinore was largely seamless, in part due to the striking similarities of the two communities and schools.

“It means something to be a Senath-Hornersville Lion,” Penn said. “You look at all of our sports, the community is there. They really care about the school and the kids, and not just when the teams are doing good. It’s something they hold dear to their hearts, and it shows. It’s something that’s very unique.”

“They’re proud to be Redbirds up there, and it’s a small, close community as well,” he continued. “You don’t have to worry about grades or discipline in either place. They are genuine, good kids who play sports and work extremely hard. They’re good people first.”

His coaching philosophy relies more on helping students as people first, not just as athletes. And after three years, Penn is confident that he’s been able to leave a positive impact on the school, athletics program and many of those he’s coached.

“We’ve made some memories that will last a lifetime for the coaches and the players,” he said. “I feel like I’ve helped these young boys become young men, and I hope they continue to grow.”

East Carter basketball coach Jordan Penn talks with his players during a timeout in a game against Senath-Hornersville this season.Christian Johnson, Delta Dunklin Democrat

Jordan will be finishing his seventh year at East Carter. He turned the boys basketball program around in those seven years as head coach of the Redbirds basketball team. In his first season, 2017, the team won only two games. That number increased to seven wins, then 11, and then 18. East Carter went 20-7 in 2022 and finished the last season 12-13.

While making connections with his players and seeing constant improvement, he was also falling in love with the adjoining role of athletic director. For four of those years, he coached elementary, junior high and high school.

“I’m excited about taking the next step,” Jordan said, “but it’s a little bittersweet giving up coaching.”

“Sports have been a big part of my life since I was three years old,” he continued. “I loved every moment that I was coaching, but I also got to be the AD. I’ve always been a person who loves puzzles, and that goes back to organizing schedules, then manipulating things to make it just right. I’ve found out that it’s something I’m good at.”

Penn will be moving into a new role at Poplar Bluff High School. He explained that, in the past, one person has primarily handled all functions of the athletic director role. He will focus largely on junior high athletics, while assisting with duties at the high school level as well.

Penn recently welcomed a newborn, and he hopes this move will allow him to put more energy into his family. He is also working on a masters degree.

“The hardest thing for me when taking a new job was the kids I’m leaving behind,” Penn said. “I’ve spent a lot of time with them, developed kind of a father figure role, and at that point I didn’t know who would be taking over. I didn’t know my brother would apply, but he did, and they’re getting a guy that will work his butt off, who loves them and has a proven track record as well.”