Eastern Kentucky's Ford talks with UMass

AMHERST, Mass. -- Eastern Kentucky basketball coach Travis Ford was interviewed Wednesday for the vacant job at Massachusetts.

School officials confirmed that Ford, a protege of UMass graduate Rick Pitino, was in town to discuss the position that became open when Steve Lappas was fired last week.

"He's here, but we do not expect an imminent announcement," Jason Yellin, a spokesman for athletic director John McCutcheon, told the Associated Press.

Among those pushing Ford's candidacy are Pitino, who played for Massachusetts, coached Ford at Kentucky and now is the coach at Louisville.

Also on the short list are Tony Barbee, who played for the Minutemen and is now an assistant to former Massachusetts coach John Calipari at Memphis, Kent State coach Jim Christian, and Manhattan coach Bobby Gonzalez.

Ford guided the Colonels to a 22-9 record this season -- the most wins in school history -- and the team's first NCAA Tournament bid in 26 years. The Colonels lost in the first round to Kentucky.

Eastern Kentucky interim athletic director Jake Bell said Tuesday that the school was contacted by an unnamed school to ask for permission to speak to Ford, who played guard at Kentucky.

McCutcheon has said he hoped to quickly name a successor to Lappas, who was dismissed after going 50-65 over four seasons.

Ford, 35, took over a team that had seven consecutive losing seasons before his arrival. He was 61-80 in his first five seasons at Eastern Kentucky after compiling a 67-31 mark in three seasons as the head coach at Campbellsville (Ky.), an NAIA school.

"While I am not at all surprised that other schools have shown interest in such a talented young coach, I look forward to continuing to work with coach Ford as we move our men's basketball program and the university to even greater heights of excellence," Eastern Kentucky president Joanne Glasser said in a statement.

Glasser met with the team Wednesday night and said she reassured the players of the school's commitment to them and the basketball program.

"I asked them to focus on their studies and not let this be a distraction," she said. "I told them that I hope Coach Ford stays with us, but if he does choose to accept another position, then we will begin a nationwide search immediately to find the best coach to lead our program to even greater heights of excellence."