Dustin Ford (born June 11, 1978) is an American basketball coach who is the head men's basketball coach at the University of Akron. Prior to being promoted to head coach, he served as an assistant coach at the University of Illinois, Ohio University and Western Carolina University. Ford's older brother, Geno, is currently the head coach at Stony Brook in Stony Brook, New York and his father, Gene, was a longtime high school head coach in Ohio and the head coach at NCAA Division III Muskingum University in New Concord, Ohio.[1]
 Ford with Akron in 2024 | |
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Akron |
| Conference | MAC |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | June 11, 1978 Cambridge, Ohio, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Ohio University (2001) |
| Playing career | |
| 1998–2001 | Ohio |
| Position | Point guard |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 2002–2005 | Jackson HS |
| 2006–2008 | Western Carolina (assistant) |
| 2008–2009 | Western Carolina (associate HC) |
| 2009–2012 | Ohio (assistant) |
| 2013–2017 | Illinois (assistant) |
| 2017–2026 | Akron (associate HC) |
| 2026–present | Akron |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 6× MAC tournament championship (2010, 2012, 2022, 2024, 2025, 2026) | |
Playing career
editAfter graduating from Cambridge High School in Cambridge, Ohio, Ford attended Ohio University in Athens, Ohio where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in communication studies in 2001.
At Ohio, Ford was a four-year letter winner as a point guard for the Bobcats under head coach Larry Hunter. During his junior and senior seasons, Ford led the Bobcats in 3-point field goals.[2]
Coaching career
editFord first served as a college assistant for 3 years at Western Carolina University for his former head coach at Ohio, Larry Hunter. While on staff for the Catamounts, Ford recruited two future Southern Conference Defensive Players of the year in Brigham Waginger (2010) and Richie Gordon (2011). Waginger is currently an assistant coach at Western Carolina and Gordon is playing professionally in France.
In 2009, Ford returned to Ohio to join coach John Groce as an assistant. During his time at Ohio, he helped the Bobcats win two Mid-American Conference men's basketball tournament championships. In 2010 and 2012 Ohio went into the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, culminating with a Sweet-Sixteen appearance against North Carolina.
When coach Groce accepted the head coach position at the University of Illinois in 2012, Ford went with him as an assistant coach. Ford helped the Fighting Illini win the 2012 Maui Invitational Tournament, win a 2013 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament game against Colorado, and post a 23 win season in his first season at Illinois. The following season, Illinois made an appearance in the 2014 National Invitation Tournament.
Akron
editAs the associate head coach at Akron under Groce, he was part MAC championship teams in 2020 and 2025 and four MAC tournament wins and NCAA appearances (2022, 2024, 2025, 2026).[3][4] After Groce accepted the head coach position at the College of Charleston, he was promoted to head coach on March 30, 2026.[5][6]
Head coaching record
edit| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron (Mid-American Conference) (2026–present) | |||||||||
| 2026–27 | Akron | 0–0 | 0–0 | ||||||
| Akron: | 0–0 (–) | 0–0 (–) | |||||||
| Total: | 0–0 (–) | ||||||||
|
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
| |||||||||
References
edit- ↑ Jackson, Marcus (November 17, 2013). "Dad keeping tab on Ford brothers". The News-Gazette. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
- ↑ "Dustin Ford". University of Akron Athletics. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Akron Completes MAC Tournament Three-Peat Behind Clutch Three from Scott". Mid-American Conference. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
- ↑ "John Groce". Sports Reference.
- ↑ "College of Charleston to hire Akron's John Groce as head coach". WCSC Charleston, SC (Press release). March 30, 2026. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- ↑ Ulrich, Nate (March 30, 2026). "Akron hires Dustin Ford as Zips basketball team's head coach". Akron Beacon Journal. Retrieved March 30, 2026.