University of Massachusets Athletics
Ford Family Adjusting To Life In The Northeast
February 18, 2006 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 18, 2006
By Jerry Tipton
Lexington Herald-Leader, Ky.
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
When considering the coaching job at UMass, Travis Ford consulted another man who made a fish-out-of-water career move: Rick Pitino.
"The first thing he said was no question you can do the job," Ford said. "But would you like living there?"
So far so good for Ford, the former UK point guard who first made his coaching mark by leading Eastern Kentucky to the 2005 NCAA Tournament. He rode that success to UMass, where through last night's game he had guided the short-handed, overachieving Minutemen to a 10-9 record.
And, yes, he said he likes living in the Northeast.
"The people have been very, very nice," Ford said. "They love their basketball."
His family enjoys the area, too, he said. His wife, former all-league UK swimmer Heather Brooks, and the children have settled in nicely. The Fords have sons Brooks, 6, and Shane, 2, and a daughter, Kyleigh, 4. "There's a commitment to winning," Ford said of going to UMass. "I thought it'd be a good fit. I knew I would stay busy. I could coach basketball in Alaska if I had to."
It helps that UMass is in Amherst, Mass., a small town that Ford said reminded him of his hometown of Madisonville.
Despite having only eight scholarship players and an unforgiving schedule, UMass has been competitive. At midweek, the Minutemen had lost four road games in which the last possession could have changed the outcome.
The schedule included non-conference road games at UConn, Boston College, St. John's, Florida State, Davidson and UAB. This was payback for the 2004-05 schedule that had 18 home games.
Ford spoke optimistically about the future of UMass basketball. He brought in four transfers who will be eligible next season: Gary Forbes from Virginia, Etienne Brower of Boston University, Luke Bonner of West Virginia and Tiki Mayben, a McDonald's high school All-American who originally signed with Syracuse. Bonner is the brother of former Florida standout Matt Bonner.
"We're really not that good," Ford said. "We're overachieving here and there. But the future looks bright."
