Travis Ford

Travis Ford

File:Travis Ford Nov 11 2006 cropped.JPG Ford coaches UMass in 2006.
Sport(s)	Men's basketball
Current position
Title	Head coach
Team	Oklahoma State
Conference	Big 12
Record	143–91 (.611)
Annual salary	$1,300,000
Biographical details
Born	(1969-12-29) December 29, 1969 Madisonville, Kentucky
Playing career
1989–1990	Missouri
1991–1994	Kentucky
Position(s)	Point guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1997–2000	Campbellsville
2000–2005	Eastern Kentucky
2005–2008	UMass
2008–present	Oklahoma State
Head coaching record
Overall	331–234 (.586)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
OVC Tournament Championship (2005) A–10 Regular Season Championship (2007)
Medal record Men's Basketball Representing United States Summer Universiade 1993 Buffalo National team

Travis Shane Ford (born December 29, 1969) is an American college basketball coach. He is currently the men's head coach at Oklahoma State University–Stillwater. He was previously the head coach at Campbellsville University, Eastern Kentucky University, and the University of Massachusetts. Prior to that, he played at the University of Missouri and the University of Kentucky. He also played the character Danny O'Grady in the 1997 movie The Sixth Man.

Playing career

After attending Madisonville North Hopkins High School, Ford entered the University of Missouri in 1989. He played basketball for the Missouri Tigers and was named to the Big Eight Conference All-Freshman team. The following year, Ford transferred to the University of Kentucky. He is still known at Missouri as Travis the Traitor as he was a highly touted part of a good team there with fellow stand-out Anthony Peeler. He sat out the 1990–91 season due to transferring to the University of Kentucky. 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 career, Ford landed the role of Danny O'Grady in the 1997 movie The 6th Man, starring Marlon Wayans and Kadeem Hardison.

Coaching career

Campbellsville University

In 1997, Ford was offered the head coach job at Campbellsville University. Ford accepted the position, and in 1999 led the Tigers to a 28–3 record, earning Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year honors.

Eastern Kentucky University

In 2000, Ford accepted the head coaching position at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky. In five seasons at EKU, Ford led the Colonels from a 7–19 record his first year to a 22–9 record and an Ohio Valley Conference championship in 2005. 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.

University of Massachusetts

After the 2004–05 season, Ford accepted the head coaching position at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. During his first season, 2005–06, with the Minutemen, Ford posted a 13–15 record, 8–8 in the Atlantic 10 Conference. 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 NIT Tournament, UMass defeated Alabama before losing in the second round to eventual NIT champion West Virginia. The team featured Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Stephane 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. 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 UMass. The team finished the season with a 25–11 record and a 10–6 record in the Atlantic 10 Conference. After losing in the A-10 tournament to Charlotte, UMass accepted an invitation to the NIT for the second straight year. They defeated Stephen F. Austin, Akron, Syracuse and Florida to make it to the NIT Finals. In the NIT Finals they lost to Ohio State 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 State University

On April 16, 2008, Ford became the head basketball coach of the Oklahoma State Cowboys. In his first season, Ford led the Cowboys to a 23–12 overall record, with a 9–7 record in conference. Ford led Oklahoma State to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2004–05 season. In the tournament, Oklahoma State beat Tennessee before being knocked off by Pittsburgh 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 the number one ranked Kansas Jayhawks. 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.

After two mediocre seasons with an NIT appearance followed by a year without postseason play Ford reeled in big time recruit Marcus Smart. The Oklahoma State Cowboys finished 24-9 overall, 13-5 in conference. Ford's fifth season was highlighted by a huge win in Lawrence, Kansas against the University of Kansas Jayhawks - 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. The Oklahoma State Cowboys earned a 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament but failed to advance after a disappointing loss to 12 seed Oregon. Travis Ford had three key players announce their return for the 2013-2014 season in Marcus Smart, Lebryan Nash, and Markel Brown.

Head coaching record

Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
Campbellsville Tigers (Mid-South Conference) (1997–2000)
1997–98	Campbellsville	7–26*
1998–99	Campbellsville	28–3	10–2		Ineligible
1999–00	Campbellsville	23–11	8–4	T–2nd	NAIA First Round
Campbellsville:		67–31 (.684)	25–11 (.694)
Eastern Kentucky Colonels (Ohio Valley Conference) (2000–2005)
2000–01	Eastern Kentucky	7–19	1–15	9th
2001–02	Eastern Kentucky	7–20	3–13	9th
2002–03	Eastern Kentucky	11–17	5–11	T–8th
2003–04	Eastern Kentucky	14–15	8–8	4th
2004–05	Eastern Kentucky	22–9	11–5	2nd	NCAA Round of 64
Eastern Kentucky:		61–80 (.433)	28–52 (.350)
UMass Minutemen (Atlantic 10 Conference) (2005–2008)
2005–06	UMass	13–15	8–8	T–7th
2006–07	UMass	24–9	13–3	T–1st	NIT Second Round
2007–08	UMass	25–11	10–6	3rd	NIT Runners-up
UMass:		62–35 (.639)	31–17 (.646)
Oklahoma State Cowboys (Big 12 Conference) (2008–present)
2008–09	Oklahoma State	23–12	9–7	T–4th	NCAA Round of 32
2009–10	Oklahoma State	22–11	9–7	T–6th	NCAA Round of 64
2010–11	Oklahoma State	20–13	6–10	9th	NIT Second Round
2011–12	Oklahoma State	15–18	7–11	7th
2012–13	Oklahoma State	24–9	13–5	3rd	NCAA Round of 64
2013–14	Oklahoma State	21–13	8–10	8th	NCAA Round of 64
2014–15	Oklahoma State	18–14	8–10	T–6th	NCAA Round of 64
2015–16	Oklahoma State	0–0	0–0
Oklahoma State:		143–91 (.611)	60–65 (.480)
Total:		322–243 (.570)
National champion         Postseason invitational champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference tournament champion

* Campbellsville forfeited 9 games in the season due to an ineligible player.