Gordon played college basketball for the Furman Paladins and was selected in the second round of the 1953 NBA draft by the New York Knicks.

He embarked on a coaching career instead of playing professional basketball and spent 30 years at the collegiate level.

He was an National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) all-conference selection in 1950 and 1951, and led the league in scoring during the 1950–51 season.

[8] Gordon left Newberry in 1977 to join Winthrop University where he had a year to establish the men's basketball team.

[7] He led the Eagles to a 31–8 record during the 1980–81 season and became the third team in South Carolina collegiate history to win more than 30 games.

[9] After a brief retirement, Gordon returned to coaching at the high school level in Upstate South Carolina.