Jordan Alford enters her third season at Illinois State in 2025-2026, after a successful first two years on staff with the Redbirds. 

Illinois State earned a fifth-straight postseason appearance and a third straight 20-win season in 2024-25, advancing to the WNIT Fab 4. Illinois State posted a 24-13 record and a 14-6 mark in MVC play, earning the program's fourth WNIT bid over the last four seasons. 

The Redbirds posted an historic 2024-25 campaign on the offensive end of the floor. Illinois State ranked fourth in NCAA Division I and led the MVC with a 48.8 percent team field goal percentage, a mark that ranks third in program history. The Redbirds also ranked fourth in NCAA DI shooting 38.5 percent from behind the arc, leading the Valley and ranking third in program history. The Redbirds set a program record with 252 total three pointers. Illinois State ranked 32nd in NCAA DI averaging 76.0 points per game and scored a mark of 2,812 total points during the 2024-25 campaign that set a program record and ranks fourth in MVC history. 

Four Redbirds earned MVC honors during the 2024-25 campaign, highlighted by Shannon Dowell's selection to the All-MVC Second team. Elyce Knudsen and Addison Martin landed on the All-MVC Newcomer team while Doneelah Washington earned All-MVC Freshman team honors. Knudsen and Martin combined for eight MVC Newcomer of the Week honors, including's Knudsen's league-leading five selections. Washington earned three MVC Freshman of the Week selections.

The Redbirds earned their fourth-straight postseason appearance and second-straight 20-win season in 2023-2024. Illinois State finished with a 22-12 overall record and 13-7 mark in MVC play while earning a WNIT bid for the third time in the last four seasons. The Redbirds advanced in the post season for the first time since 2013 with a Second-Round WNIT win over Charleston at CEFCU Arena, where the Redbirds hosted postseason basketball for the first time since 2013.

Alford joined the Redbirds after three seasons at Valley foe Southern Illinois. In her role with the Salukis, Alford held the duties of Video Coordinator and Director of Basketball External Operations. Prior to her time at Southern Illinois, Alford spent time at Columbia College, a NAIA program in Columbia, Mo., where she graduated in 2020 with a bachelor's degree in sports management and business administration.

The Thayer, Mo. native started 109 of 111 games during her four seasons and led the Cougars to the NAIA National Tournament in each of her three full seasons. A three-time All-American honoree, Alford left the program ranked in the top-10 in career three-pointers made (4th; 225), career assists (5th; 374), career steals (8th; 200) and career points (9th; 1,330). 

Alford was a prep standout at Thayer High School, where she was named to both the MBCA and AP All-State teams and helped the Bobcats to a 63-37 overall varsity record.

Alford completed her graduate work at SIU in May 2022 with a degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in sports studies.