MSU hires new basketball coach

New Missouri State University men’s basketball coach Dana Ford speaks during a morning news conference. The event was livestreamed through Facebook.

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MSU ends contract with basketball coach

Last edited 11:20 a.m., March 22, 2018

Missouri State University this morning introduced its new men’s basketball coach.

Dana Ford, 33, comes to MSU from Tennessee State University, where he was head coach for the last four years. Ford led the Tigers to a combined 52-39 record during the past three years, and in his first season, turned the team around to a 20-11 tally after it previously posted a 5-26 record, according to a news release.

Speaking at a news conference this morning — livestreamed via Facebook — Ford said the Bears men’s basketball team would be a players-first program focusing on love and discipline.

“If you do the next right thing, everything else will take care of itself,” he said.

Ford spoke to the need to recruit new talent to complement the team’s existing slate of players.

“I was hired here to win championships. Period,” he said. “When the word championship is brought up, we’ve got to be about that. Our players need to think they’re going to win. Everybody’s mindset’s gotta change.”

Ford succeeds Paul Lusk, who was ousted earlier this month. Lusk, who received a $370,000 buyout for the remainder of his contract, led the team to a 105-121 record during his seven-year tenure. His record included a 52-74 tally in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Ford signed a five-year contract with MSU. He’ll earn a base salary of $375,000 for his first two years and $425,000 in the next three. Ford graduated from Illinois State University, where he played basketball for four years.