The University of Arkansas at Little Rock men’s basketball program has its man, and for fans of college basketball, the face is a familiar one.
Director of Athletics Frank Cuervo confirmed Thursday that coaching veteran Travis Ford will lead the Trojans program, ending a process that began March 6 with the dismissal of former coach Darrell Walker. Ford most recently was the head coach at Saint Louis from 2016 to 2024, compiling an overall record of 133-89, including an Atlantic 10 championship and NCAA tournament berth in 2019.
“We had incredible interest from throughout the basketball world,” Cuervo said. “Certainly the college space, sitting head coaches and assistant coaches, the professional basketball space and even from international basketball. So it was really gratifying to know there was that much interest in Little Rock and what we’re doing here.”
Ford will take over a program that was picked to win the Ohio Valley Conference in preseason polls, but faltered to a 12-20 (9-11 OVC) finish as compounding injuries kept the Trojans from playing a full rotation most of the season. Little Rock’s athletics programs will leave the OVC at the end of the current athletic season and join the United Athletic Conference.
“I’m excited to connect with our fans, alumni, and the entire Central Arkansas community,” Ford said in a statement Thursday. “We want them to feel a part of what we’re building and to make the Jack Stephens Center a place that’s electric on game nights. We’re going to build something special here—and we’re going to do it the right way. I can’t wait to get to work with our players and staff to bring that vision to life and to develop a championship culture that’s embraced every day and that our fans can be proud of. We want to create a team that reflects the grit and pride of Little Rock—one that competes relentlessly and represents this city with passion.”
Before Saint Louis, Ford spent eight seasons at Oklahoma State (2008–16), leading the Cowboys to five NCAA Tournament appearances and compiling a 155-111 record. At Massachusetts (2005–08), he guided the Minutemen to back-to-back 20-win seasons and an appearance in the 2008 NIT Championship Game.
Ford’s first Division I head coaching job was at Eastern Kentucky (2000–05), where he led the Colonels to the 2005 Ohio Valley Conference Championship and the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 26 years.
Cuervo said Thursday that while he was not married to the idea of bringing in a former head coach, it was most definitely a preference.
“Anytime you can go out and hire a proven head coach who’s done the job, that’s certainly preferable,” Cuervo said. “However, I’ll say we took a really broad look at the opportunity. We even had what I would consider finalists who were top assistants at top programs who hadn’t previously been a head coach.”
As a player, Ford was a guard for Kentucky’s 1993 Final Four team, playing under College Basketball Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino. He arrives at Little Rock in the midst of one of the biggest fundraising campaigns in modern Trojans athletics history, with plans calling for a basketball operations center to be built next to the Jack Stephens Center should the funding be secured.
Cuervo said that even before Ford’s arrival, the university and the athletic department had been working to increase the resources around the basketball program, including all-important revenue sharing to attract and keep top players.
“We look forward to being very aggressive on that front,” Cuervo said. “Whether it comes to fundraising, marketing of the program or filling the seats at the Stephens Center. I think we’ve got someone who is truly a CEO of the program.”
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