Travis Ford…Is He The New SLU Coach?

(St. Louis, MO) – There are always rumors and innuendos when a coach search is going on in a Division 1 basketball program. We in the media put together lists of likely candidates based on availability, geography, history with the program, relationships within the athletic department, and ‘who is hot?’ right now.

Those lists may have some validity.

When our friend Stu Durando broke the story for the ‘St. Louis Post-Dispatch’ that Travis Ford had been hired, you take that reporting to the bank. Stu is one of the most respected and conservative writers I know. He isn’t the type to go with anything that isn’t totally substantiated. ESPN picked up the story. So did other media outlets. This morning on St. Louis sports radio stations and television outlets are talking about the hire in a past tense and measuring the outcomes.

There is only one snag. Saint Louis University isn’t being quiet about the hire. They’re denying it. Here is the press release we received last night.

Statement from Billiken Athletics

“Saint Louis University has not hired a men’s basketball coach. The process is ongoing. Information on an introductory press conference will be sent once a coach is hired.“

That was an odd release by them. Perhaps it is just that all the details haven’t been finalized and they want to make the announcement themselves. Maybe they came to an agreement and Ford pulled ‘a Dana Altman’ on them and backed out. Who knows?

Due to Stu’s stellar reputation, I would be shocked if the former Oklahoma State coach wasn’t out recruiting in the a blue tie by Friday, but on does wonder.

Ford’s resume is interesting. As Ohio Valley Conference watchers, we remember that in his first D1 head coaching job, it took him five years to get Eastern Kentucky to a solid place, but in his last season the Colonels were conference and tournament champions.

At UMass it took him two seasons to get the program on solid footing, but won 49 games his last two seasons. UMass, is of course an A-10 foe of Saint Louis U.

Oklahoma State is an interesting study. His teams won (155 and 111) and his teams went to the NCAA Tournament five times in eight seasons. This past year the Cowboys were 12 and 20 with the lowest winning percentage of any of Ford’s teams since his first two years at EKU. Only three times in this eight seasons did the Cowboys produce a winning conference record.

In 16 seasons as a D1 head coach, Ford’s teams have played postseason basketball nine times. Six times they’ve participated in ‘March Madness’ and have participated in three National Invitation Tournaments where Ford’s 2008 Massachusetts team was the runner-up.

SLU has been on a roller coaster ride every since the departure of Brad Soderberg. Rick Majerus was hired with much fanfare and some great results. Chaifetz Arena was finalized and built. There were NCAA tournament bids, and then the illness and death of Majerus. Jim Crews held the ship together and even took the team to great heights himself, only to see it all fall back to mediocrity the past two seasons.

However, for all the hand wringing about how bad the SLU program has been, we should note that EVERY head coach that has worked the Billiken side-line since Ron Ekker left in 1982, has had a winning record while coaching here. The best of those winning percentages belongs to Crew at .653 and worst mark of .516 was accumulated by Rich Grawer.

Travis Ford is the new SLU head coach. Or is he? We’ll see, but my money is on Stu Durando being correct.

Do Good