OSU basketball coach Travis Ford’s wife, Heather, and two of his three children look on during Thursday’s press conference announcing Ford’s hire.
Travis Ford made a strong first impression as he was introduced as the new basketball coach of the Cowboys on Thursday afternoon at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
“It’s an exciting day for me and my family to be a part of such a great university,” Ford said. “The Oklahoma State basketball program is a program that I have always followed.”
Ford left his former job at the University of Massachusetts after three seasons as head coach. He will replace Sean Sutton, who parted ways with OSU after two seasons and a 39-29 record.
Athletic Director Mike Holder said Ford’s contract has not yet been finalized.
Holder began the conference by laying out the list of attributes he was looking for in a new coach.
“I think at the top I wanted someone with integrity who would play by the rules, someone that we can be proud of and that taught his kids the right way and to play hard,” Holder said.
Ford got his coaching start at Campbellsville University in 1997, where he went 67-31 over three seasons. He spent five years at Eastern Kentucky and took the Colonels to the NCAA tournament before spending the past three seasons at UMass.
Ford excitedly addressed a number of issues and was not hesitant to lay down some lofty expectations.
“My goals are to take this Oklahoma State basketball program to a national championship,’’ he said.
Ford also said another priority was to return Gallagher-Iba Arena’s atmosphere back to its national prominence.
“I read one quote that this has one of the best home court advantages in all of college basketball,” Ford said. “Well, I am here to make it the best college basketball home court advantage.”
Ford met with the Cowboy players shortly before arriving at the conference, and made a good first impression on them as well.
Guard Terrel Harris said it did not take long for the players to get pumped up about what their new coach was selling.
“People were trying to hold in smiles because they were excited,” Harris said. “I was excited so I was about to smile but I wanted to act serious.”
Ford was a point guard in college at Missouri for his freshman season before transferring to Kentucky to finish his career. He was an All-SEC selection his junior and senior years.
Point guard Byron Eaton said he is excited to learn under a coach that was successful at his position.
“It’s going to be fun,” Eaton said. “He’s going to be able to tell me some things he learned how to do back in his career, and I’ll try to mold it to my game and try to do it in my career.”
The players will be seeing plenty of Ford, as he is a self-declared “gym rat” and said he can never seem to get enough of the game.
“Basketball has been my life, from playing it to coaching it,” Ford said. “I want to be surrounded by people who love the game, who are passionate about athletics, who are passionate about sports, and that’s the thing that kept coming up about Oklahoma State.”
Before taking the practice court, he said he wants to get to know his new players as people.
“My immediate plans are I want to get to know these players,” Ford said. “That’s first on my agenda is getting to know these guys off the court before I get to know them on the court, and they can get to know me.”
After introductions, Ford will begin the process of returning OSU basketball to its nationally recognized status.
He said the process will require commitment not only from the players, but also from everyone associated with the university.
“It’s going to take a lot of hard work,” Ford said. “It’s going to have to continue with the support that everyone gives this program every single night in the arena, and I can’t wait to get started.”
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