Travis Ford named as new head coach at Saint Louis

Former Oklahoma State coach takes over Billikens program

Ford has a career record of 256-174

Travis Ford has been named the new head coach of the Saint Louis Billikens men's basketball team. Ford, who was previously the head coach at Oklahoma State, has a career record of 256-174. He replaces Jim Crews, who was fired after 10 seasons at Saint Louis.

Ford is a native of Madisonville, Kentucky, and played college basketball at Kentucky. He was a two-time All-SEC selection and helped the Wildcats reach the Final Four in 1993. After his playing career, Ford began his coaching career as an assistant at Kentucky under Rick Pitino.

In 2006, Ford was hired as the head coach at Oklahoma State. He led the Cowboys to the NCAA Tournament in seven of his 10 seasons, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2013. However, Oklahoma State struggled in recent years, and Ford was fired after the 2016-17 season.

Ford inherits a Saint Louis program that is coming off a 14-16 season. The Billikens have not reached the NCAA Tournament since 2013. However, Saint Louis has a strong tradition of basketball success, having won 13 conference championships and reaching the NCAA Tournament 20 times.

Ford is excited about the opportunity to coach at Saint Louis. He said he is impressed with the school's tradition and facilities, and he believes that the Billikens can be a competitive team in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

"I am honored and excited to be the head coach at Saint Louis," Ford said. "This is a great basketball program with a rich tradition. I am looking forward to working with our student-athletes and staff to build on that tradition and bring success to Saint Louis."