Travis Ford and Kentucky
Well, Cowboy fans, this is what happens when you’ve got a successful basketball team.
Just about every story coming out about Billy Gillespie and Kentucky names Travis Ford as a possible replacement.
I’m curious what Cowboy fans’ thoughts are. Happy to have a desired coach? Get away from him, he’s ours?
I would assume the answers would have been A LOT different three months ago.
Here’s a quick look at some of the stories that have come out in the last couple of days.
* The Bleacher Report thinks Gillespie should get another year.
* Another Bleacher Report blog that doesn’t name Ford, but does name others.
* ESPN’s Andy Katz says a decision could come Friday, and that Ford’s name will come up.
* SI’s Andy staples has Gillespie’s job security on life support.
Check back later for more links.
– Ryan Sharp, Asst. Sports Editor
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Comments
Ford is a great coach and will have a solid championship program year after year in Stillwater. He could be a God at Oklahoma State. If he goes to Kentucky, he’ll be just another coach with expectations that can’t be met. Has anyone looked what happens to Wildcat coaches lately?
That’s the difference between UK and Oklahoma State. We expect championships. Ok. St. is satisfied with tournament appearances. Ford would immediately be embraced by the entire fanbase. He’s a hero at UK already because of his playing days there. He can recruit. He’s proven he can play with the big boys (Kansas, Texas, Oklahmoa). I’m not dispelling Oklahoma State’s program, it is a very good program. But anybody who is a fan of college basketball knows that there are about 5 jobs that every coach dreams about, UK, UNC, Kansas, Duke, UCLA. That’s the pinnacle of the sport.
I bleed blue. Travis bleeds blue. Ky fans will give
Travis a tremendous amount of lattitude because he is a home grown boy. His celebrity is already established in Ky, all he has to do now is coach.
A Watson, there is NO WAY that we want Gillespie at OSU! He already has 3 dwi arrests, and we don’t need that kind of thing in Stillwater again if you know what I mean. Not to take anything away from Eddie, I love him, but Gillespie would just be more trouble. Coach Ford may or may not go to UK, but UK has fallen from their tradition and not just under Gillespie. And I’m not so sure that Jamin’s list is right, I would include UConn on that list, in the modern era, they are always in the hunt. Not sure about UCLA or UK, because neither has had a championship in over 10 years. Granted, the Pokes haven’t had one in over 60 years, but I don’t think that OSU is on that “dream job” list either. UK has 2 championships in the last 30 years and UCLA only has 1 in that time. UConn has 2 in the last 10.
Travis Ford should come to Kentucky. He belongs here!! I think that he could really turn our program around. I don’t think Donavan was the answer anyway. Travis Ford knows what he will be getting into if he comes. He understands that we are a basketball team that deserves to win. And i think that hes the person that can get us back into a basketball school. I care deeply about the Kentucky basketball program and I think that he can get us back on track. Please come and thankyou! Have a nice day. Thankyou.
Travis Ford is an excellent man! He grew up in Kentucky and he should come back. Kentucky and Travis Ford deserves a good solid season! Travis you should come and I hope you do. But if not I totally understand. Thankyou Travis.
COME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I normally don’t spend my day like this but I really want Travis to come. You don’t want to stay at OSU! COME!!
plz travis come help uk get back to where it belongs on top of the college basketball mountain !! we-all love you here in ky.
Coach Ford has done a great job here at OSU and I would certainly be very, very upset to see him leave. I understand, however, that there’s a big chance he might. No one forgets their alma mater, and I’m sure Coach Ford still has enormous pride for the Kentucky Wildcats as OSU fans have for the Cowboys.
It will be a shame to see him leave. He really started something here at OSU, he connected with the fans — especially in the last few home games when he took the microphone and addressed the crowd at Gallagher-Iba.
I’m a big fan of Coach Ford and I definitely don’t want to see him leave! So, back off Kentucky! Why don’t they just go after John Pelphrey, anyway?
I really would hate to see Coach Ford leave as he already feels like a part of the OSU family. I thought it would be very difficult to lose the Sutton tradition but Coach Ford was really endearing and made a great impression on the fans. I’m not so naive to think that he isn’t considering the move the UK and could hardly blame him if he went but it would be a tremendous loss to OSU. Hoping for the best!
I know that I would hate to see Travis Ford leave OSU. He is obviously a tremendous coach that has turned around OSU’s program in a short amount of time. One of the greatest things about Travis Ford is the discipline that his teams possess. I felt that was something that the OSU teams had been lacking in the past few years and it seems that he has completely turned that around in one year. Coach Ford makes his teams work hard and he has done a great job of warming up to a fan base that at first cringed to have a head coach that didn’t have the last name “Sutton”. I am excited about all the talented players that he has recruited and the direction that OSU basketball is heading.
I know that Travis Ford is a Kentucky guy. He probably bleeds blue just like I bleed orange. And I don’t blame many of the UK fans for wanting to see him come back to his alma mater. Heck, just last year, that is what we were wanting from Bill Self. And I do agree with the Kentucky fans that their basketball program is one of the elite in the nation. They have had prestige in their past that many programs dream of. However, there are many other UK comments that don’t make much sense to me. First, I think OSU fans can expect championships. In 2004, OSU made it to the Final Four and then had all but one returning starter come back the next year. You don’t think we were expecting a national championship in 2005? Another thing, as a Kentucky boy, I’m sure Travis Ford would be embraced by the Wildcat fans. However, if I remember correctly, two years ago there was a pep rally to introduce new head coach Billy Gillispie and the fans were going crazy (in a good way)about him. If Travis doesn’t do well at UK, will you give him 3 years instead of 2? And my favorite comment is that Kentucky “deserves Travis Ford”. Can someone please tell me why the UK fan base deserves anyone when you had a tremendous coach in Tubby Smith and you ran him out of town? He won you a national championship for goodness sakes. And now he is at Minnesota where he has turned that program around in just one year, just as Coach Ford has done at OSU. Uh oh, I better not make too many Travis Ford/Tubby Smith comparisons.
In conclusion, I hope like heck to have Travis Ford coaching the Cowboys next season. However, if Ford does get an offer from Kentucky, I would not blame him if he took it. Travis Ford has done great things for OSU basketball and regardless of the outcome in the end, I think all OSU fans should be greatful for the work he put in this past season.
If you want Ford now, you better get him as his Blue Blood will turn to Bright Orange if he stays on the OSU Campus over three years. He could become part of the family.
Yeah I know this is a moot point but I wanna comment on the last post. Tubby Smith won a championship with Pitino’s team and after that the Cats were on a slow and steady decline. Tubby in my opinion could not recruit for crap. His teams couldn’t shoot the ball, period. Good defense doesn’t amount to much when your team can’t score. I also would not call making the NCAA tournament by the skin of your teeth a turn-around. Travis Ford is on the short list of my all time favorite players for UK, but I think right now Coach Cal is a better fit. As long as he keeps his nose clean that is. Let Travis get a few more years under his belt. Also Jamin’s list of top desirable coaching jobs in NCAA is right on. That’s why Calipari is the new coach. He wouldn’t leave Memphis for a program like OSU. It does not matter if a coach has a championship or not. A few lean years and anyone can lose their job. Do you think if Duke failed to reach the tournament 3 years in a row there wouldn’t be people calling for his termination? And Duke has been the most succesful team in the last 15 years.
Is Ford a candidate? …. Of course! But I think they will try for an established coach first before an up and coming coach. Most reports mention Donavon of UF, izzo or even Calipari before Ford. But then the question risen is would any of the high profile coaches leave his respective school? Ford a UK hero is a candidate after the big names. I hope Ford doesn’t leave OSU but if it did happen I’d go for Gillespie. He is a great coach who was in the wrong situation at UK. We already know he would be interested. He inquired about the job last year when he was at UK.