TSU hires ex-assistant as men's basketball coach

Illinois State associate head coach Dana Ford has been hired as Tennessee State's new basketball coach, according to a university source.

Ford will be introduced Monday at a news conference at the school.

He will replace Travis Williams, who was fired on March 11 after leading the Tigers to a 5-25 record in his second season.

Ford served as an assistant at TSU under former coach John Cooper from 2009-11. The Tigers posted a combined record of 33-39 while Ford was on the staff.

Ford was among six finalists for the position, which also included West Virginia associate head coach Larry Harrison, North Carolina State assistant Rob Moxley, Georgia assistant Stacey Palmore, Columbia State coach Brian Collins and former District of Columbia coach Julius Smith.

Ford spent the 2011-12 season on Gregg Marshall's staff at Wichita State. The Shockers went 27-6, earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament and finished ranked No. 18 in the final Associated Press poll that year.

He returned to his alma mater Illinois State in 2012-13 to work on former Vanderbilt assistant Dan Muller's staff. Illinois State went 18-15 in 2012-13 and 18-16 this past season.

The Redbirds earned a berth in the College Basketball Invitational this past season and beat Morehead State 77-67 and Texas A&M 62-55 before losing in the semifinals to Siena 61-49.

Ford, a native of Tamms, Ill., played at Illinois State (2002-06) where he was voted the squad's best defensive player during his senior season after finishing in the top 10 of the Missouri Valley Conference in steals and blocks.

After serving as a graduate assistant at Marshall, Wichita State and Winthrop, Ford was an assistant at Chipola (Fla.) Junior College for one season.

He could not be reached for comment and TSU athletics director Teresa Phillips declined to comment.

Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.