Monday, January 15, 2018
by Simon Fraser Athletic Communications

BURNABY, B.C. – Simon Fraser University Senior Director of Athletics and Recreation Theresa Hanson announced Jan. 15 that Thomas Ford, who has over 10 years of NCAA and high school coaching experience in the United States, has been named head coach of the Clan football program.
 
A native of Seattle, Ford has coached in the NCAA at the University of Puget Sound (Division III), Southeastern Oklahoma State University (Division II), and at his alma mater, Linfield College (Division III), where he was a star running back, team captain and national champion. Ford also brings experience re-building the football program at Stadium High School in Tacoma, Wash., and a network of contacts throughout the Pacific Northwest.
 
Ford is the 11th head coach in the history of the SFU football program. He replaces Kelly Bates, whose contract was not renewed after three winless seasons.
 
"We are excited about this new chapter in SFU Football," said Hanson. "Thomas is an outstanding and experienced coach who brings a combination of NCAA experience, solid leadership skills and a winning attitude.  His strong work ethic together with his ability to recruit and build relationships will be his cornerstone for rebuilding our program".
 
Ford has experience creating a winning culture within a football program. After serving two seasons as the defensive coordinator at the University of Puget Sound, Ford took over as head coach of Stadium High School (2014), which was coming off a 0-10 season and had not had a winning season since 1993. Ford resurrected the program, taking Stadium to the playoffs for the first time in school history, something the team accomplished twice (2016, 2017).
 
Ford coached Stadium for four years, and his teams led the Pierce County League in total passing and rushing yards both playoff years.  After the 2016 season, Ford was named PCL Co-Coach of the Year and was also named All Area Offensive Coordinator of the Year by the Tacoma News Tribune. Ford also served as a teacher and academic advisor at Stadium.

On March 9, Ford will be honored with the United States Marine Corps and Glazer Clinics Semper Fi Coach Award. The award recognizes a high school football coach who lives out the Marine Corps motto of semper fidelis (always faithful) and who models the Marine Corps leadership values of honor, courage and commitment. Ford is receiving the award for his leadership re-building the football program at Stadium.
 
"My vision is to graduate leaders with a pathway to a meaningful career, relentlessly compete and win on the football field as well as serve as a point of pride and unity for the community," said Ford.
 
"The three key elements to building a winning culture at SFU are recruiting the student-athletes focused on athletics and academics with the work ethic to handle anything, getting kids to believe they can win and developing individuals within the program with our strength and conditioning plan so it becomes harder to surrender on the field."
 
As defensive coordinator at Puget Sound in 2013, Ford's defence improved in almost every statistical category and finished second in the Northwest Conference and ranked 35th nationally in fumble recoveries. From 2009-2012, Ford served as recruiting coordinator and special teams coordinator at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. At both schools, Ford was responsible for recruiting Washington, Oregon, California and Arizona. 
 
"I lead with integrity, and build relationships wherever I coach, so I am looking forward to getting into the B.C. high schools to meet with our football alumni and the football community to earn the respect and confidence of coaches through my values and vision," said Ford. "I want BC kids to play a central role in helping Clan football return to greatness."
 
Ford is not the first American-born coach to lead Clan football. American-born Ernest Duncan "Pokey" Allen was co-head coach of the Clan with Bob De Julius in 1973, and they led the team to a 6-2 record in the NAIA that season.
 
A four-year football and track letterman at Linfield College in Oregon, Ford set the Wildcats' single-game rushing record (237 yards against Redlands) in 2003. Linfield was 41-4 during Ford's playing career. He ranks still ranks fifth all-time on the career rushing list with 2,333 yards. Ford was a two-time Northwest Conference all-star, a member of four straight Northwest Conference championship teams, and team captain of Linfield's 2004 NCAA Division III national title team that was inducted into the Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.
 
Ford has a strong strength and conditioning background with deep roots in the football community in the Pacific Northwest. The Ford family has operated Ford Sports Performance in Seattle, an athletic training facility that specializes in training high performance athletes, including professional, college and top high school athletes. Several members of the NFL, including some of the top Seattle Seahawks, train at FSP in the off-season.
 
Ford played four years of professional indoor football, winning a National Indoor Football League championship with Tri-Cities Fever (Kennewick, Wash.) in 2005.
 
A graduate of Linfield in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in physical education, Ford completed his master's degree in education at Southeastern Oklahoma State in 2010.
 
Ford and his wife, Shannon, have two young children, daughter Zoey (4 years old) and son Kingston (7 months).