I just got an email from a friend, who is a UMass fan, asking me why I haven't written a column ripping Travis Ford for how he left. Another person on facebook invited me to join a group comparing Ford to Nick Saban.

I'm not writing that column or joining the group because I have a hard time blaming him. Travis Ford gets an F in public relations, but an A in business.

I'll work backwards. It easy for fans to ignore money. The thought is he makes a huge amount of money already, how much does he need? And I get that to a point. But Ford has three children. What if someday one of them needs experimental surgery that isn't covered by health insurance? Or one of them wants to go to med school? What if he just wants to to be in a position to provide for them and make sure they're comfortable for the rest of their lives? Most people dream of being rich. Hard to begrudge someone a chance to fulfill that.

On top of that he left to go to a school that could be an elite job. Oklahoma State can win a national championship. It's not Kansas or North Carolina, but its not that far off. Ford will have to do a great job to make that happen, but the resources are in place.

I know most UMass people don't begrudge him that, although from some of the emails I've gotten, some people clearly do. 

But from the moment Travis Ford was hired, this day was an inevitability. He's Kentucky-born and bred and he's seen college basketball at the highest level as a player. That was a recipe for a short stint from the beginning.

Ford's biggest mistake was his handling of the job rumors starting with his statement about the LSU job:

"I would like make clear that I do not want to be considered for the head job at
LSU," Ford said Tuesday night. "There has been a lot misinformation circulating
about me and the job at LSU. I feel that it is necessary to state that I do not
want to be considered for the job. "

Which basically translates to "I'm not going to LSU, stop bothering me about it."

The statement showed two things: 1. He wasn't ruling out everybody, just LSU. 2. He has no idea how to make a public statement.

Compare what Ford said to Oliver Purnell's statement on the same LSU job:

"I am flattered that I would be mentioned in connection with a
prominent national program," Purnell said. "But I have long-range goals
for this Clemson program. We just announced a contract extension three
weeks ago and I am happy here."

Purnell's statement respects LSU while at the same time disconnecting himself from the opening.

Ford loves hyperbole even more than he loves 3-point shooters. During his time at UMass, every opponent he faced could have given the 1987 Lakers a run for their money, if you listen to his quotes. Even Dowling, their exhibition game opponent two years ago, was picked to be the best team in their league if you believed Ford and could be one of the best teams in Division II.

So when I heard Ford talk about his commitment to UMass at the banquet, just hours after flirting with Providence, I rolled my eyes a bit. We joked that would be fine until OK State hired Billy Gillespie, Kentucky hired John Pelphrey and Arkansas came calling for Ford. 

Turns out my theory had far too many steps. But the idea was on the money.

Because I'm a member of the media, you'll take (perhaps rightly so) what I'm about to say with a grain of salt. But Ford should have talked with the media on his way out. I'm saying that not only because it would have been the professional thing to do and would have made my stories better, but it would have helped him. 

Ford could have earned himself some measure of goodwill by saying stating when he made his statements, he meant them and that he actually thought he'd be at UMass until this incredible ($9 million dollar) offer came along.

But throughout his career, whenever he knew the topic of conversation would be a difficult one, he was very good at dodging the media and not returning phone calls. In this case he looks like he snuck out the back door.

That move will hurt his friend and assistant coach Tim Maloney as he pursues the UMass job because fans and boosters will hold his affiliation with Travis against him instead of treating it like an asset.

But despite that, he made a decision for his career and his family that's hard to argue with. Coaching is a rough gig. If Ford has stayed next year someone gets hurt, someone flunks out and someone underperforms, people start complaining. Another bad year after that and he's on the hot seat at the risk of getting canned.

Dan Dakich went back to Bowling Green out of loyalty instead of taking the West Virginia job and a few years later  he got fired, while the guy who did go to WVU, John Beilein, got hired at Michigan.

Ford could have handled the situation better, but he made a decision its hard to fault.

...six days til Lost returns...