Travis Ford (born December 29, 1969) is an American
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
coach, who is currently the head coach of the
Saint Louis Billikens men's basketball team. He was also previously the head coach at
Campbellsville University,
Eastern Kentucky
Eastern may refer to:
Transportation
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
* Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
* Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991
* Eastern Air ...
,
, and
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New M ...
. Prior to that, he played at the
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Universit ...
and the
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...
.
Playing career
While attending
Madisonville North Hopkins High School
Madisonville North Hopkins High School (MNHHS) located in Madisonville, Kentucky, United States, opened in fall 1968. The school, located on Hanson Road, replaced the old Madisonville High School. Classes had graduated from the Spring Street faci ...
, Ford's team lost to Marshall County, led by future Vanderbilt signees Aaron Beth and Dan Hall, in the state quarterfinals. Ford entered the University of Missouri in 1989. He played basketball for the
Missouri Tigers and was named to the
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference was a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football. It was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Associatio ...
All-Freshman team. The following year, Ford transferred to the University of Kentucky and sat out the 1990–91 season due to NCAA rules on transfers. After playing sparingly his sophomore year, Ford was a starter during his junior and senior years, and set school records in single-game assists (15), single-season three-point field goals (101) and consecutive free throws made (50). Ford was named to the All-
SEC team his junior and senior years, and was recognized as the Southeast Region's Most Outstanding Player in the
1993 NCAA tournament.
After an unsuccessful attempt at an
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
career, Ford landed the role of Danny O'Grady in the 1997 movie ''
The 6th Man
''The 6th Man'', sometimes titled ''The Sixth Man'', is a 1997 American sports comedy film directed by Randall Miller, and starring Marlon Wayans and Kadeem Hardison. The film features real National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) schools ...
'', starring
Marlon Wayans
Marlon Lamont Wayans (born July 23, 1972) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. Wayans began his career portraying a pedestrian in ''I'm Gonna Git You Sucka'' (1988). He went on to regularly collaborate with his brother Shawn Wa ...
and
Kadeem Hardison.
Coaching career
Campbellsville
In 1997, Ford was offered the head coach job at
Campbellsville University. He accepted the position, and in 1999 led the Tigers to a 28–3 record, earning
Mid-South Conference
The Mid-South Conference (MSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Member institutions are located in Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee. The league is headquartered in Lou ...
Coach of the Year honors.
Eastern Kentucky
In 2000, Ford accepted the head coaching position at Eastern Kentucky University in
Richmond, Kentucky
Richmond is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Madison County, Kentucky, United States. It is named after Richmond, Virginia, and is home to Eastern Kentucky University. In 2019, the population was 36,157. Richmond is the fourth-la ...
. In five seasons at EKU, Ford led the
Colonels
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel wa ...
from a 7–19 record his first year to a 22–9 record and an
Ohio Valley Conference championship in
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
. In a much publicized first-round NCAA Tournament matchup with his alma mater, the University of Kentucky, Ford's team pushed the Wildcats to the limit before losing 72–64.
UMass
After the 2004–05 season, Ford accepted the head coaching position at the
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst, UMass) is a public research university in Amherst, Massachusetts and the sole public land-grant university in Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Founded in 1863 as an agricultural college, it ...
. During his first season, 2005–06, with the
Minutemen
Minutemen were members of the organized New England colonial militia companies trained in weaponry, tactics, and military strategies during the American Revolutionary War. They were known for being ready at a minute's notice, hence the name. Mi ...
, Ford posted a 13–15 record, 8–8 in the
Atlantic 10 Conference
The Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) is a collegiate athletic conference whose schools compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I. The A-10's member schools are located in states mostly on the United States Eastern ...
. The
2006–07 season saw Ford coach UMass to the fifth most wins in school history with an overall mark of 24–9. The team shared the Atlantic 10 Conference regular season title with
Xavier, going 13–3, but lost to Saint Louis in the second round of the
Atlantic 10 tournament. After earning a #4 seed in the postseason
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitational Tournament (NIT) is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Played at regional sites and traditionally at Madison Square Garden (Final Four) in New York City ...
, UMass defeated
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
before losing in the second round to eventual NIT champion
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
. The team featured Atlantic 10 Player of the Year
Stéphane Lasme. After the season ended, Ford's name was circulated as a long-shot replacement for the head coaching position at Ford's alma mater, the
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...
. These rumors were put to rest when after the season on April 10, 2007, UMass announced that Ford had signed a five-year contract extension.
The
2007–08 season was arguably even more successful for Ford and Massachusetts. The team finished the season with a 25–11 record and a 10–6 record in the
Atlantic 10 Conference
The Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) is a collegiate athletic conference whose schools compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I. The A-10's member schools are located in states mostly on the United States Eastern ...
. After losing in the
A-10 tournament to
Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...
, UMass accepted an invitation to the
NIT for the second straight year. They defeated
Stephen F. Austin,
Akron,
Syracuse
Syracuse may refer to:
Places Italy
*Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa''
*Province of Syracuse
United States
*Syracuse, New York
**East Syracuse, New York
**North Syracuse, New York
*Syracuse, Indiana
* Syracuse, Kansas
*Syracuse, Miss ...
and
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
to make it to the NIT Finals. In the NIT Finals, they lost to
Ohio State
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
92–85. Ohio State had made the previous year's
NCAA championship game. Despite the team's postseason success and the previous year's contract extension, Ford would leave the next season for
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New M ...
.
Oklahoma State
On April 16, 2008, Oklahoma State hired Ford to become the head basketball coach. In his first season, Ford led the Cowboys to a 23–12 overall record, with a 9–7 record in conference. He led Oklahoma State to its first
NCAA tournament appearance since the 2004–05 season. In the tournament, Oklahoma State beat
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
before being knocked off by
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
in the second round. In
year two, Ford's Cowboys finished 22–11, 9–7 in conference. The year was highlighted by wins over a top ten
Kansas State on the road and a home win over #1 ranked
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
. Big 12 player of the year
James Anderson was instrumental in both wins and became Travis Ford's first Cowboy to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft.
Prior to the 2010–11 season, Ford signed McDonald's All-American recruit
Marcus Smart. The Cowboys finished 24–9 overall, 13–5 in conference. Ford's
fifth season was highlighted by a huge win in
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the county seat of Douglas County, Kansas, Douglas County, Kansas, United States, and the sixth-largest city in the state. It is in the northeastern sector of the state, astride Interstate 70, between the Kansas River, Kansas and Waka ...
against
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
– the first win by OSU at Kansas since 1989.
Marcus Smart was named the Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Year and Big 12 Player of the Year. Oklahoma State earned a 5 seed in the
NCAA tournament but failed to advance after a disappointing loss to #12 seed
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
. Travis Ford had three key players announce their return for the
2013–14 season in
Marcus Smart,
Lebryan Nash, and
Markel Brown
DeMarious Markel Brown (born January 29, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for Pallacanestro Varese of the Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). He played college basketball for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
High school career
Brown attende ...
. A promising non-conference start was followed by a stumbling conference slate and the team finished 21–13, 8–10 in Big 12 play. A loss to
Gonzaga in the Second Round (formerly known as the First Round) of the
NCAA tournament followed. Another
difficult season followed as the Cowboys finished the season 18–14, 8–10 in Big 12 play with a disappointing Second Round loss to
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
in the
NCAA tournament. The
2015–16 season was even worse, OSU finished the season 12–20, 3–15 in Big 12 play.
On March 18, 2016, it was announced that Ford and the Cowboys agreed to part ways after 8 years as head coach.
Saint Louis
On March 30, 2016, Saint Louis University announced that Ford has been hired as the head basketball coach. He inherited a Billikens team that had gone a disappointing 11–21 each of the previous two seasons under head coach
Jim Crews
James S. Crews (born February 14, 1954) is an American former men's college basketball coach for Saint Louis University. He was promoted to head coach after serving on an interim basis following the health concerns and eventual death of former Bil ...
. Due to a lack of talent from the previous regime, SLU was predicted to finish dead last of the Atlantic 10 conference during the 2016–17 season.
Basketball statistician In basketball, a basketball statistician is an official responsible for recording statistics during games, and providing reports to coaches, league officials, and (depending on the competition) media and spectators.
In organized competition and at ...
Ken Pomeroy
Ken Pomeroy is the creator of the college basketball website and statistical archive KenPom. His website includes his College Basketball Ratings, statistics for every NCAA men's Division I basketball team, with archives dating back to the 2002 s ...
predicted the Billikens as the team most likely to go winless throughout its conference schedule. Ford led the Billikens to six Atlantic 10 conference wins and a 12–21 overall record.
Head coaching record
* Campbellsville forfeited 9 games in the season due to an ineligible player.
References
External links
Saint Louis profile*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Travis
1969 births
Living people
American male film actors
American men's basketball coaches
American men's basketball players
Basketball coaches from Kentucky
Basketball players from Kentucky
Campbellsville Tigers men's basketball coaches
College men's basketball head coaches in the United States
Eastern Kentucky Colonels men's basketball coaches
Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball players
Missouri Tigers men's basketball players
Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball coaches
Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball)
People from Madisonville, Kentucky
Point guards
Saint Louis Billikens men's basketball coaches
UMass Minutemen basketball coaches
Universiade gold medalists for the United States
Universiade medalists in basketball