Saint Louis lost its final game of a disappointing college basketball season on Wednesday night and Travis Ford showed a lot of class amid a difficult situation. The Billikens fell to 13-20 with a Second Round loss in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, which led to the eighth-year head coach’s ouster.
It was a great reminder that sports are a ruthless business.
Saint Louis posted the final score on social media at 9:40 p.m. EST. Multiple reports from credible sources indicated that Ford was fired less than 15 minutes later. The body wasn’t even cold!
To make things even more awkward, Ford had to speak with the media. By all accounts, he was fired just minutes (if that) before having to take the podium for his postgame press conference— as a lame duck.
Neither the head coach nor athletic director Chris May would comment on the reports. However, the news was already out there. Ford was fired. Awkward!
Rather than going out with guns blazing, the 54-year-old took the high road and showed a lot of class. Ford spoke to his appreciation for the city, for the fanbase, for the school, and for his players— both past and present. He was composed in a time where most people would lack composure.
During his postgame presser, #SLUBillikens MBB HC Travis Ford chose not to directly address the reports of his firing, but he did have this to say…(cut short due to X limits);
— Bryan Kennedy (@BKennedyTV) March 14, 2024
Video courtesy: A-10 @KMOV pic.twitter.com/pNIVMFVCtD
Ford’s final year with the Billikens marked the first year without a winning record since his first year at the helm in 2016-17. Saint Louis won 20 or more games in four of eight seasons and reached the NCAA Tournament once. He was very successful in a lot of ways but never quite took the program to the next level. A 5-13 record in the A-10 this year was the final nail in the coffin.
As a result, Travis Ford was fired within 10 minutes of a loss on Wednesday. That’s tough.