Robert Ford (born September 10, 1937) is a retired American football player, coach of football, lacrosse, golf, and wrestling, and college athletics administrator. Ford was appointed as the head coach of the University at Albany on April 27, 1970 where he remained until retiring after the 2013 season.[1] From 1965 to 1968, Ford served as the head football coach at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. He also coached golf and wrestling at Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania, where was an assistant football coach from 1960 to 1963. Ford was Albany's head men's lacrosse coach from 1971 to 1973 and athletic director from 1978 to 1982.
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 11, 1937 |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1959 | Springfield |
| Position(s) | Quarterback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1959 | St. Lawrence (DB) |
| 1960–1963 | Albright (offensive backs) |
| 1964 | Springfield (DB) |
| 1965–1968 | St. Lawrence |
| 1969 | Springfield (DC) |
| 1970–2013 | Albany |
| Lacrosse | |
| 1971–1973 | Albany |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1978–1982 | Albany |
| 1998–1999 | Albany (interim AD) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 265–191–1 (football) 19–11 (lacrosse) |
| Bowls | 2–1 |
| Tournaments | Football 1–1 (NCAA D-III playoffs) 0–1 (NCAA D-I playoffs) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Football 1 ICAC (1965) 2 EFC (1997–1998) 6 NEC (2002–2003, 2007–2008, 2011–2012) | |
Head coaching record
Football
From the time he was appointed as the Albany head coach, Ford's teams played football as a club sport for three years, 1970 to 1972. His coaching record during that period was 12–9–1. Those 22 games are not included in the coaching record shown below.
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Lawrence Saints (Independent College Athletic Conference) (1965–1968) | |||||||||
| 1965 | St. Lawrence | 4–4 | 1st | ||||||
| 1966 | St. Lawrence | 2–6 | |||||||
| 1967 | St. Lawrence | 1–6–1 | |||||||
| 1968 | St. Lawrence | 2–6 | |||||||
| St. Lawrence: | 9–22–1 | ||||||||
| Albany Great Danes (NCAA Division III independent) (1973–1994) | |||||||||
| 1973 | Albany | 7–2 | |||||||
| 1974 | Albany | 9–0 | |||||||
| 1975 | Albany | 7–2 | |||||||
| 1976 | Albany | 4–5 | |||||||
| 1977 | Albany | 9–2 | L NCAA Division III Semifinal | ||||||
| 1978 | Albany | 7–3 | |||||||
| 1979 | Albany | 6–3 | |||||||
| 1980 | Albany | 5–5 | |||||||
| 1981 | Albany | 7–3 | |||||||
| 1982 | Albany | 6–3 | |||||||
| 1983 | Albany | 3–7 | |||||||
| 1984 | Albany | 5–5 | |||||||
| 1985 | Albany | 9–2 | W ECAC North Championship | ||||||
| 1986 | Albany | 4–6 | |||||||
| 1987 | Albany | 5–5 | |||||||
| 1988 | Albany | 5–5 | |||||||
| 1989 | Albany | 5–4 | |||||||
| 1990 | Albany | 3–7 | |||||||
| 1991 | Albany | 5–5 | |||||||
| 1992 | Albany | 6–4 | |||||||
| 1993 | Albany | 6–4 | |||||||
| 1994 | Albany | 4–6 | |||||||
| Albany Great Danes (NCAA Division II independent) (1995–1996) | |||||||||
| 1995 | Albany | 3–7 | |||||||
| 1996 | Albany | 7–3 | |||||||
| Albany Great Danes (Eastern Football Conference) (1997–1998) | |||||||||
| 1997 | Albany | 11–1 | 8–0 | 1st (Atlantic) | W Eastern Football Conference Championship | ||||
| 1998 | Albany | 10–1 | 7–1 | 1st (Atlantic) | W Eastern Football Conference Championship | ||||
| Albany Great Danes (Northeast Conference) (1999–2012) | |||||||||
| 1999 | Albany | 7–2 | 6–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 2000 | Albany | 5–6 | 5–3 | 4th | |||||
| 2001 | Albany | 7–3 | 5–2 | T–3rd | |||||
| 2002 | Albany | 8–4 | 6–1 | 1st | W ECAC Bowl | ||||
| 2003 | Albany | 7–4 | 6–1 | T–1st | |||||
| 2004 | Albany | 4–7 | 4–3 | 3rd | |||||
| 2005 | Albany | 5–6 | 4–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 2006 | Albany | 7–4 | 5–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 2007 | Albany | 8–4 | 6–0 | 1st | L Gridiron Classic | ||||
| 2008 | Albany | 9–3 | 7–0 | 1st | W Gridiron Classic | ||||
| 2009 | Albany | 7–4 | 6–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 2010 | Albany | 6–5 | 4–4 | T–4th | |||||
| 2011 | Albany | 8–4 | 7–1 | T–1st | L NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
| 2012 | Albany | 9–2 | 7–1 | T–1st | |||||
| Albany Great Danes (Colonial Athletic Association) (2013) | |||||||||
| 2013 | Albany | 1–11 | 0–8 | 11th | |||||
| Albany: | 256–169 | 93–33 | |||||||
| Total: | 265–191–1 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||