Gene Ford, a Muskingum University alumnus (1974) and charter member of Muskingum's Athletic Hall of Fame, will be inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday, May 5.
Ford, who was inducted into the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Hall of Fame in 2009, was named OHSBCA Division II Coach of the Year in 1988 and also won Coach of the Year honors in the Eastern District, OVAC, ECOL and District 12. He received the OVAC's Earl Haberfield Coaches Award in 2006. He has served as president of the District 12 Basketball Coaches Association, as a trustee for the Ohio High School Athletic Association Foundation and on the Board of Directors of the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame Museum.
Ford coached for 25 years at Cambridge High School where he compiled a record of 400-183 (.687) and led his teams to 18 sectional titles, eight district crowns and five regional titles, leading to five state tournament appearances. The 1994-95 team finished as the Ohio Division II state runner-up. His teams also won or shared 10 East Central Ohio League championships.
His illustrious coaching career concluded at Muskingum where he was head coach of the men's program from 2007-2015. During his time on the Muskie sideline, Ford coached several 1,000-point scorers and led the Muskies to the OAC Tournament Final Four. His squads consistently were atop of the Ohio Athletic Conference in assists per game, fewest turnovers per game, best turnover/assist ratio, scoring defense, free throw shooting percentage, three-point field goal shooting percentage and rebounding defense.
As a stand out student-athlete at Muskingum, the Black & Magenta graduate was a four-year basketball letterman and still ranks second all-time in scoring with 1,717 career points. He was an All-American honoree and a three-time All-Ohio Athletic Conference selection. Ford was named the Mike Gregory OAC Player of the Year as a senior and was a charter member of the Muskingum College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1980.
