Dustin Ford reflected on the past, the present and the future Wednesday, April 15, when he was officially introduced as the 23rd head coach of the University of Akron men’s basketball team.
Ford had a long list of thank yous, spanning from his family members, to friends, to administrators, to players and to coaches, including John Groce, who left the Zips last month to become the College of Charleston men’s basketball coach.
“It’s a special day for me and my family to be named the next head men’s basketball coach at the University of Akron,” Ford said Wednesday inside the LeBron James Family Foundation House Three Thirty Cabaret.
Ford was serious, but also cracked a few jokes after “a rough start to the morning” at around 5 a.m. when his water heater went out at home and his printer gave him fits in his office on the UA campus.
Ford called on his wife, Marcie, to fix “the breaker” for the water heater in the basement of their home, and Akron assistant coach Devan Morrow fixed the printer.
Ford’s wife and their children, Abbie and Max, were in attendance along with a couple of hundred people.
“For decades, this program has had a standard of excellence fueled by a championship pedigree,” Akron President R.J. Nemer said. “Today, we continue that legacy with the appointment of a new head coach, Dustin Ford, the 23rd head coach in the program’s 125-year history.
“In most instances, the process of hiring a head coach can be complex and prolonged and formed by a variety of internal and external perspectives. I am proud to share that this process and this decision were both clear and resolute.”
Ford, a graduate of Cambridge High School and Ohio University, thanked his father/high school coach, Gene Ford, and his college coach, Larry Hunter, for their tutelage though the years. Ford also thanked Groce, Nemer and several other Akron administrators.
“I have always enjoyed watching R.J. work and see his passion for the University of Akron,” Ford said. “His drive and his work ethic to recruit students to the University is something we all respect in the athletic department. Recruiting and retention are one of the most important things in college athletics today. We have a great example in how to do that with President Nemer.”
Ford was named Akron’s men’s basketball coach last month after spending 18 years as an assistant coach under Groce at Ohio University, Illinois and Akron.
The Groce-Ford tandem guided Akron to four Mid-American Conference Tournament titles and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026. The Zips also won MAC regular-season championships in 2020 and 2025.
“Seems like yesterday he [Groce] interviewed me in a parking lot at the Kentucky Hoopfest,” Ford said. “It was a quick interview. Not sure how much I got to say that night, and a lot of you can relate to that I’m sure. Coach, we love you, but sometimes it is hard to get a word in.
“… The rest is history. I stand here 18 years later, and John has turned me into who I am today as a coach. John is one of the best coaches and teachers in the game of basketball, and I’ve had a front-row seat to watch him work. He has prepared me for this opportunity. People always ask me, how do you work with someone so long in this profession? John let me coach. John gave me responsibility. John helped me grow so I’d be ready for a moment like today. I may still call him once a week so we can argue like we did all season, though.”
Ford also thanked former Akron athletic directors Larry Williams and Charles Guthrie, Fear the Roo Collective founder Bud Wentz.
“I loved working with John, but after our second year [at Akron] I had some pretty good opportunities,” Ford said. “I’ll never forget it. Larry, obviously, was a really imposing figure. A big man. … He knocked on my door and asked if he could speak with me. He walked in and he shut the door. Sat across my desk and said, ‘Hey, listen you’re gonna have opportunities every year, but understand something, my plan is when John leaves, I want you to be our head coach.’
“Fast forward years later, we’re on the road to James Madison, and I had that same conversation with Charles Guthrie, which made me feel a sense of belief. Fast forward, just like my two conversations prior with Larry and Charles, I’ll never forget that Monday morning when John and Andrew addressed our team that John would be taking another opportunity. When we were walking out of the meeting, Andrew asked if I could come over to his office to meet. I was certainly excited to do so, although on the walk my mind was racing.”
Goodrich said Nemer and UA’s administration on campus “demonstrated a level of professionalism that should inspire hope that the best is yet to come for the University of Akron and its men’s basketball program” with its decision to hire Ford.
“As we look forward,” Goodrich said, “I believe the future for Akron men’s basketball is as bright as ever, built upon the success of Bob Huggins, Keith Dambrot and John Groce, we look forward to the next era of championship level basketball under the guidance of Dustin Ford. Dustin has been working very hard for a long time to ensure that he is fully prepared to lead this program.”
Goodrich said Ford’s impact on the program has been “immense” as the associate head coach. Goodrich praised the coach’s work on and off the court, and said Ford and his wife Marcie are “incredibly respected” on campus.
“This almost seemed too easy,” Goodrich said. “But when we were able to see the early feedback from the players, alumni, donors and fans we were absolutely certain that we had found the right man to lead this team.”
Dustin Ford finalizes his Akron coaching staff
Ford announced he has retained Akron assistants Devan Morrow and Terry Weigand to work on his coaching staff, and has also hired Josh Jones, Todd May and Jay Shunnar as Zips assistants.
“The key to any successful organization is a great staff,” Ford said. “I had one thing in mind when putting it together — I wanted a staff no different than our players. They needed to be talented, but more importantly I wanted them to have a level of toughness, selflessness, high character and resilience. By having a staff with those qualities, it will ensure we have stability during adversity, which will allow long-term success by fostering a team that stays loyal through difficult times.”
Akron men’s basketball currently features 6 returnees
Ford said Akron has “retained a core group of guys who know what we are about.”
When asked who is in that core, Ford said: “We had three guys redshirt this year: Josh Henderson, Tai Perkins and Cody Head. I am counting on all of those guys to take a step. Chabi Barre is back. Marv [Marvin Musiime-Kamali] is back and Zach Halligan is back. Marv and Zach are guys that are rocks. You talk about guys that can lead, guys that are selfless and guys that are about all of the things that we want to be about.”
Eric Mahaffey and Sharron Young, who both have eligibility remaining after being key members of the Akron rotation last season, are in the transfer portal.
Akron Beacon Journal sports writer Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron confident Dustin Ford is right coach to lead Zips men’s basketball
Reporting by Michael Beaven, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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