Travis Ford Will Lead Little Rock Against Kentucky

The veteran head coach faces a major test in his return to the bench on October 16, 2026.

Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Basketball

Expressive editorial sports illustration of a basketball player in mid-action, rendered in bold blue and white team colors. — Travis Ford begins his tenure as head coach for Little Rock, facing an exhibition game against the University of Kentucky on October 16. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Travis Ford will make his debut as the head basketball coach at Little Rock during an exhibition game against the University of Kentucky at Rupp Arena on October 16, 2026. This game marks the start of a new chapter for the 56-year-old coach after his tenure at Saint Louis ended.

Why it matters

Ford accepted the position in pursuit of a program with growth potential to rebuild his career after 24 seasons at four different universities. He aims to transform the Little Rock squad into a competitive force despite having only one player returning from the previous season.

Travis Ford holds a career record of 424-335, representing a 55.9% winning percentage across two decades of coaching. He has managed a massive roster overhaul, bringing in 15 new players to join the single returner from the prior season.

The players

Travis Ford

He is a 56-year-old veteran basketball coach who previously served at Eastern Kentucky, Massachusetts, Oklahoma State, and Saint Louis.

Frank M. Cuervo

He is the athletics director at Little Rock who oversaw the hiring process for the new basketball coach.

Eddie Ford

He was the father of Travis Ford who passed away on May 31, 2025, at the age of 81.

The details

After meeting with athletics director Frank M. Cuervo, Ford moved quickly to secure his current roster, recruiting 15 new athletes within six weeks of his hiring. The coach views the Little Rock program as a sleeping giant and is now preparing his team for their inaugural exhibition test.

Travis Ford coached 24 seasons at four universities between 2000 and 2024.
Travis Ford's tenure at Saint Louis concluded between 2023 and 2024.
Eddie Ford passed away at the age of 81 on May 31, 2025.
Travis Ford resumes his college coaching career for the 2026-27 season.
The Little Rock exhibition game at Rupp Arena takes place on October 16, 2026, at 7 p.m.

Season Trajectory

This transition marks a pivotal shift for the Little Rock basketball program as it attempts to rebuild under a high-profile veteran coach. The outcome of the exhibition game against Kentucky provides an early indicator of how the new 15-player roster will compete this season.

The roster features 15 new recruits, meaning fans will see an entirely revamped team identity compared to the previous season. The upcoming exhibition at Rupp Arena will serve as the primary test to determine the team's initial rotation and chemistry.

The takeaway

Building a cohesive team with 15 new players requires significant time and strategic integration during the early months of the season. The exhibition match serves as a crucial baseline for the staff to evaluate the new recruits against top-tier collegiate competition.