I was reading the posts from people in Galesburg, and it felt heavy to see how many people are hurting after the sudden passing of Jordan Ball. He was the 7th-grade boys’ basketball coach and a new teacher at Galesburg Junior-Senior High School. The whole town feels quiet because of this. Even though the family hasn’t shared an official obituary yet, the news spread quickly through parents, teachers, and his players. Everyone is talking about how shocking it is, given that he was so young and full of life.
Right now, it is early December 2025, and the family has asked for some space while they deal with everything. You can see how many lives Jordan touched in such a short time. When I saw students writing small notes for him, it reminded me of how a good teacher can change your life without even trying.
Jordan grew up in Moscow Mills, Missouri. He was the son of Casey A Ball from Windsor Heights, Iowa, and his late mother, Stacey M Hammack, who raised him with his sister, Nicole, and his brother, Nicholas. From what people have shared, he was always active in sports growing up. He attended Troy Buchanan High School and was so good at baseball that he received a full scholarship to Monmouth College. He played for the Fighting Scots and graduated with a degree in history. People said you could easily see his spirit on the field. I believe that same spark followed him into coaching.
In November 2024, he joined Galesburg Junior High as an English substitute and later began coaching the 7th-grade boys’ basketball team. Students still talk about how he made every practice fun, even when they were tired. Some parents mentioned that he always tried to teach something bigger than the sport. When a kid missed a free throw, he would turn it into a life lesson rather than get upset. Once, I saw a clip of him cheering loudly when one of his players finally made a shot he had been trying to make for weeks. That kind of encouragement stays with you for years.
He once said he chose to become a teacher to help young minds. It’s sad to think he was already doing that every day but had so many more years to give.
Jordan lived in Oneida, Illinois, with his wife, Alex. They were college sweethearts from Monmouth and got married in July 2022. They also welcomed a baby who became the center of their world. Alex is a teacher at ROWVA CUSD 208, and everyone who knew them said they were a simple, loving couple who worked hard and cared deeply for their family.
Jordan faced deep pain long before this. His mother, Stacey, battled stage four lung cancer for more than two years and passed away in 2018 with her family by her side. Those close to Jordan say he carried her strength with him. They felt he lived in a way that would make her proud. He was gentle, dependable, and always there when you needed him.
He leaves behind his wife, their child, his father, Casey, his sister, Nicole, his brother, Nicholas, and many students, friends, teammates, and players who are trying to understand why life can be so unfair sometimes.
Jordan always gave everything he had to his family, his faith, his classroom, and the boys he coached. When I think of him now, I imagine the basketball court without his whistle and easy smile. It feels empty. But the lessons he taught and the support he offered will stay with the people who were lucky enough to know him.
Rest easy, coach. You will be remembered. You may also be interested in: D3 Athlete Frustrated by Fundraising Requirements, Considers Leaving School
