Ford inherits a team that includes MAC Player of the Year Al Fisher (above)

Ford just completed his fourth season as an assistant at Kent State, returning to the school this past season after spending two seasons as the head coach at Division III Muskingum where he led the Muskies to a 29-22 mark. Ford previously spent three seasons as an assistant at Kent State under Christian from 2002-2005. Gene Ford, Geno's father, is now the current head coach at Muskingum.

Kent State athletic director Laing Kennedy appears to be banking on a similar formula that produced positive results when Christian was promoted from an assistant under Stan Heath when Heath left to take over at Arkansas after Heath led the Flashes to the Elite Eight in 2002.

Christian guided the Golden Flashes to six consecutive twenty-win seasons, five postseason appearances and a pair of MAC titles en route to being named MAC Coach of the Year in 2006 and this past season.

Christian left Kent State to accept the head coaching post at TCU following Kent State's 71-58 loss to UNLV in the opening round of this year's NCAA Tournament. The Flashes set a school record this past season for most wins in the regular season and were briefly ranked in the Top 25 in late February. Christian's teams however failed to advance past the first round in each of their five postseason appearances during his tenure.

Prior to embarking on a coaching career, Geno Ford was one of the most prolific players in the MAC, amassing 1,752 career points and was named first team All-MAC in his senior season in 1997. As a high school senior Ford was named Ohio's Mr. Basketball in 1993.

Ford spent one season at Ohio as a graduate assistant in 1998-1999 and then two more seasons as an assistant coach with the Bobcats from 1999-2001. During his time on the Bobcats' bench, Ohio compiled a 57-34 record and made two postseason appearances.

It is not known if Ford will retain the remainder of the Golden Flashes current coaching staff but sources have indicated that they do not anticipate any significant changes in the composition of the staff under Ford.

The Geno Ford File: