Ford, OSU end honeymoon early
Travis Ford had the perfect set-up — he was handed the keys to the head coach’s office and granted a honeymoon period.
Rare are the opportunities in college basketball where a coach is hired and given a grace period of a year or so. That’s what happened, though, when Oklahoma State hired Ford last spring.
Sure, folks in Stillwater wanted to see the men’s basketball program moving forward. But because things were in such disarray and because Ford was bringing in an entirely different system, no one had grand expectations. Show signs of improvement. Build for the future. That’s about all the orange bloods wanted out of Ford.
If he won 20 games and got to the NCAA Tournament, all the better, but those weren’t going to be the measuring sticks used this season.
Talk about a plum deal. How often does a young coach get a crack at one of the college basketball’s quality programs but not have to produce titles or even wins right away? It’s a rare and golden opportunity that Ford was granted.
Then, he went and screwed it up.
This isn’t just about what Ford called Obi Muonelo either. Granted, any coach calling a player an f***ing idiot on national television would be a black mark on their record. But a college coach saying that to a 20-year-old youngster — it’s inexcusable.
Thing is, it’s not the only thing Ford has done to end to the honeymoon early. His foul language has drawn the ire of fans and the attention of the nation. Ditto for the way he has treated officials.
Cowboy fans probably would’ve embraced Ford if he had just been fiery. Among their big complaints about Sean Sutton, after all, was that he didn’t show enough emotion on the bench. But there’s a difference between fiery and down-right unhinged, and that’s what Travis Ford has been more often than not.
If he’d have just kept his nose clean, avoiding controversy and re-building the Cowboy program, he’d still be enjoying the honeymoon. Instead, Ford finds himself facing the harsh reality of a marriage that is anything but rosy right now.
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