Stony Brook Athletics announced on Tuesday, March 26 that Geno Ford will become the new head coach for Men’s Basketball.
The long-time former assistant coach has now become the 12th head coach in the program’s history, as well as the fourth in the Division I era.
“My primary focus during this search was to identify the coach who can help us win an America East championship and reach the NCAA Tournament right now,” Athletics Director Shawn Heilbron said in a press release. “I believe in the young men in our locker room, and it became crystal clear throughout this process that Geno was the right coach to lead them moving forward.”
The spot was vacated by Jeff Boals, who resigned after being head coach for two seasons. Boals took a spot at his alma mater of Ohio University, where he was a captain of the team in his collegiate playing days.
Ford enters the position with experience and a wealth of head coaching experience. He took over at Kent State University in 2008, helping lead the Golden Flashes to a 68-37 record. In his second and third seasons, his team won two Mid-Atlantic Conference regular-season championships, including a 35-13 record during the 2009-2010 championship.
He later moved on to Bradley College, where he thrived once again. Before Ford agreed to become head coach, the team poised a 7-25 mark. It later became an 18-17 record the following season.
“Geno has enjoyed success as a head coach and he understands what it takes to win,” Heilbron said. “While our program is poised to win in the short term, this decision was ultimately about the long term success that we are striving to achieve at Stony Brook. I have had the opportunity to work with Geno for the past three years and have witnessed his ability to connect with our players and bring out the very best in them. The trajectory of our program is limitless, and I am confident that Geno will help lead us to new heights.”
All hopes are looking up for the program, as the team looks to continue their current success into next season with a different head coach.
