Ford

PROVIDENCE — Travis Ford and his wife, Heather, were wined and dined and given a grand tour of Providence College and the Dunkin’ Donuts Center yesterday. Today, we’ll see whether the University of Massachusetts coach takes the bait.

Ford, 38, is PC’s latest choice to fill its vacant men’s basketball coaching position. He fits several of the parameters the Friars are looking for in a coach. He’s a winner, a creative recruiter and possesses lots of drive.

Perhaps most importantly, he’s a Rick Pitino disciple who lived his dream of playing for the former Friar coach at the University of Kentucky and followed Pitino’s advice to take the reins at his alma mater in Amherst three years ago.

Pitino helped get Ford involved in the Providence search after the Friars’ initial choice, George Mason’s Jim Larranaga, turned down an offer April 2. As of late last night, PC and Ford had not reached a deal on a contract. The job is certainly his to turn down and the Friar community would clearly welcome this resolution to the four-week search to replace Tim Welsh.

Interestingly, UMass has its season-ending team banquet scheduled for tonight. Ford would almost certainly have to carry a final decision with him back to Amherst.

Ford is 62-35 in three years at UMass, with 49 wins and NIT appearances in each of the last two seasons. Before moving to Western Massachusetts, the Madisonville, Ky., native coached for five seasons at Eastern Kentucky where he made the NCAA Tournament in 2005. The Minutemen finished 25-11 and reached the NIT final last week, losing to Ohio State.

Here are some of the issues Ford must be weighing. First, of course, is money. Last April he signed an extension at UMass through 2015 on a deal that offers a base salary of a reported $400,000. He would clearly be able to double his money at Providence and would likely sign a deal for five or six years. It is not known what the buyout figure in his UMass contract may be.

Besides wealth, the issue coaches worry about most is the ability to recruit and win games. He’s clearly proven he can do big things at UMass, although winning 25 and 24 games the last two seasons as an Atlantic 10 member and not gaining access to the NCAA’s must be frustrating.

UMass loses its key frontcourt players to graduation, including A-10 player of the year Gary Forbes, but the Minutemen return starting guards Chris Lowe and Ricky Harris and welcome Wake Forest transfer Anthony Gurley. Matching this season’s success and keeping his name hot for bigger jobs would be a major challenge next winter.

Coaches see Providence’s situation as an attractive one next season. PC returns its five starters from this season’s 15-16 team and the perception is that the Friars own enough talent to compete for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Long-term, however, PC is seen as a difficult school to win at in the ultra-competitive Big East.

Ford is a basketball-lifer who has stars in his eyes. He averaged more than 30 points a game as a high school senior but when he wasn’t recruited by Kentucky coach Eddie Sutton, Ford signed with Missouri. He made the Big Eight all-freshman team but quickly transferred when Pitino was hired to replace Sutton.

At UK, Ford helped Pitino revitalize the great Wildcat program by starting on the 1993 Final Four team and sharing MVP honors as a senior with future NBA guard Tony Delk.

Four years after leaving UK, Ford was a head coach at Campbellsville, an NAIA school. He then moved to Eastern Kentucky and Massachusetts and he was rumored for openings at both South Carolina and LSU over the last six weeks.

Those jobs have filled without Ford becoming a serious player but that opened the door for PC athletic director Bob Driscoll and the two men met at last weekend’s Final Four in San Antonio.

Yesterday Ford and his wife were on campus and spotted leaving the Dunk with Driscoll at midday. They were seen at Alumni Hall last night. Today the denizens of Friar Town should hear Ford’s decision.

kmcnamar@projo.com