March 25, 2005

"Travis Ford is one of the brightest players I coached in 30 years. He was a true coach on the floor. He did a tremendous job in taking a program that had not consistently won and improved it each year he was there. He got his team to the NCAA Tournament this season and played one of the giants in college basketball to the wire. I couldn't be any happier for my alma mater in seeing such a terrific basketball mind taking over the helm at UMass."
-- Rick Pitino, Head Coach, University of Louisville

"I enjoyed coaching Travis during his three years at Kentucky. We developed a very close relationship and Travis is somebody that has grown and evolved into an outstanding coach. He will do a great job at UMass recruiting, coaching and developing quality student-athletes in his program."
-- Billy Donovan, Head Coach, University of Florida

"Travis is an outstanding young coach who knows what it takes to win basketball games. His teams mirror him in that they are hard-nosed and competitive. As a player, he always looked for ways to improve his game. As a coach, he's been tireless in his approach to making his teams better. I have a lot of respect for Travis."
-- Tubby Smith, Head Coach, University of Kentucky

"Travis is full of energy, enthusiasm and has learned from one of the best in playing for Rick Pitino at Kentucky. He will bring a Pitino style with lots of excitement to the UMass campus."
-- Dick Vitale, ESPN

"Coach Pitino thinks Travis Ford can be another Billy Donovan, and he has proven to be prophetic. He took Eastern Kentucky to the NCAA Tournament and has shown that he is cut from the same cloth as Billy. If Travis can show the same passion and intensity as he did at Eastern Kentucky, there's a great chance he will be successful at UMass."
-- Andy Katz, ESPN

"Travis Ford is a winner. He always has been, he always will be. He has great passion and integrity and is someone that everyone at UMass can be proud of."
-- John Pelphrey, Head Coach University of South Alabama and Ford's former teammate at Kentucky

"Travis a great hire for UMass. He is an excellent young coach who has proven himself in a tough mid-major conference. He has also proven himself as a recruited at Eastern Kentucky. Travis will bring a ton of energy and an exciting brand of basketball to UMass. He is a close friend and I wish him all the best."
-- Mick Cronin, Head Coach Murray State University

"Travis has done an impressive job of growing the Eastern Kentucky program and I respect what he has done there. Obviously, he is a good recruiter, but he was able to adopt and develop a style with that talent that best fit his program at Eastern Kentucky. I really admired the way they improved defensively. That definitely stood out this year."
-- Dave Loos, Head Coach Austin Peay University