Travis Ford (born December 29, 1969 in Madisonville, Kentucky, United States) is currently the head basketball coach at the University of Massachusetts. He has previously been the head coach at Campbellsville University and Eastern Kentucky University. Prior to that, he played at the University of Missouri and the University of Kentucky. He also played Danny O'Grady in the 1997 movie The Sixth Man.
Ford began his college career at the University of Missouri in 1989. After making the Big Eight Conference All-Freshman team, Ford transferred to the University of Kentucky. After playing sparingly his sophomore year, Ford started 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 year, and was recognized as the NCAA Southeast Region MVP in the 1993 NCAA Tournament.
After an unsuccessful attempt at an NBA career, Ford was called to play the role of Danny O'Grady in the 1997 movie The Sixth Man, starring Marlon Wayans and Kadeem Hardison. While the movie received stellar reviews, Ford's acting career did not extend beyond that movie.
In 1997, Ford was offered a head coaching position at NAIA school Campbellsville University in Campbellsville, Kentucky. Ford accepted the position, and in 1999 led the Tigers to a 28-3 record, earning Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year honors.
In 2000, Ford accepted the head coaching position at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky. In 5 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.
After the 2004-05 season, Ford accepted the head coaching position at the University of Massachusetts. Ford finished his first season at UMass with 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, posting an overall mark of 24-9. The team shared the Atlantic 10 Conference regular season title with Xavier University, 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 the University of Alabama before losing in the second round to eventual NIT champion West Virginia University. 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. On April 10, 2007, the University of Massachusetts announced that Ford had signed a five-year contract extension. Ford's contract with UMass now runs through the 2014-2015 season. Ford said after the 2006-2007 season that he received some inquiries from high-profile schools, but told them he wasn't interested, saying "I think the [UMass] program is heading in an exciting direction. I want to be part of it."
Through the 2006-07 season, Ford's Division I coaching record stands at 98-104, and 165-135 overall (67-31 at Campbellsville, 61-80 at EKU, 37-24 at UMass).
