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That's correct.

Nothing wrong with status quo if your status quo is good. Elevating would be a pleasant surprise if it happens.

I'm going to go make a contribution to FTR to show my support for this move. I encourage others as well.

CoC job wasn't vacant that long. Groce I'm sure was in communication that he was exploring his options and they likely already had this contingency plan in place. It might have been in place even last year when reports were Groce had some interest in leaving.

I like the quick decision to beat the portal opening date. I like to believe that the "Akron culture" is a thing. Also, great message from the AD 👏

Not in today’s college basketball environment. Just a better chance to.

Makes you wonder if this was in the works a bit longer than we knew

With the announcement of Coach Ford's promotion, is it safe to assume that our guys will run it back?

Looks like Coach Ford will continue the UA Hoops dynasty, as the HC. I'm happy for him and his family.

Fastest. Hire. Ever.

Just received this email: Dear Zips Nation, Today, I write to share some bittersweet news about our friend, John Groce as well as lay out the plan for the future leadership of our beloved Men’s Basketball program. You may have heard that John made the decision to accept another coaching position. It’s true that we will miss his smile and positive attitude which helped us have so much success on and off the court. We are incredibly grateful for everything that he and his family have done here at The University of Akron. We understand that seasons pass, times have changed, and we wish him and his family the absolute best as he continues his basketball coaching journey. As we look forward, I believe the future for Akron men's basketball is as bright as ever. Built upon the success of the Dambrot era, and now the Groce era, we look forward to the next era of championship level basketball. We acknowledge and understand that rules regarding transfer portals and revenue share budgets have changed the game of college basketball, but principles like work ethic, preparation, and the drive to play for others and something bigger than ourselves remain the bedrock for championship programs. As we seek our next trusted leader, we will place a priority on finding someone who loves Akron, who has a demonstrated history of winning championships, who loves working with young people, who listens as well as he leads, who continues to help us raise our standards, all the while maintaining an unyielding belief that anything is possible at the University of Akron when we all work together. Luckily for us, we found that person right here in Dustin Ford. Dustin’s impact on our men’s basketball program is immense. Our Associate Head Coach for the past nine years, Dustin helped craft our championship winning strategies, assisted our young men develop leadership skills on and off the court, and has proven to be a great teacher of the game of basketball. Dustin along with his wife Marcie, have developed a great network of friends in Northeast Ohio and have robust recruiting ties throughout the State of Ohio. While Dustin is the perfect person to take us to the next level, he will not be able to do it alone. As our peers in the MAC aim to end our championship streak, their fans are investing more and more in season tickets and gifts to their revenue share and operational budgets. We implore you to join us and “MAKE THE CLIMB” as we aim to not only continue to win MAC Championships, but to earn NCAA Tournament victories as we continue to dream big championship dreams. A formal press conference to introduce Dustin will be scheduled at some point in the near future so that he can focus his time, efforts, and energy and developing a roster, hiring a staff, and mapping our fundraising strategies with our friends at Fear the Roo, and internally with the Akron Competitive Excellence (ACE) Fund. Best wishes and Go Zips! Dr. Andrew T. Goodrich Director of Athletics at The University of Akron

We don’t need a full national search to do this right—just quickly talk to a few strong candidates and see what’s out there. Akron is a top mid-major job, and there’s likely already interest behind the scenes.

Out of likes, but +1

In all seriousness, I agree. Fans are too quick to panic when there is turnover. Honestly, I've been guilty of it in the past. Again, my experience following a well run athletic department is Wake Forest. When I saw Dave Clawson getting hired after Grobe around 10 years ago, I thought they were doomed because I simply didn't know who he was or much about him. As it turned out, he was the right guy, at the right place, at the right time. When they hired Jake Dickert I thought they were screwed for the same reasons and he won 9 games in his first season and were better than the last two years of Clawson. He was the right guy at the right place at the right time. Wake finds football coaches who are right for Wake Forest. Akron has successfully found two consecutive successful coaches in a row who were the right guys for Akron at the right time. At some point, we have to admit that the culture around Akron basketball is a good one. Culture matters and leads to good decisions. In recent years, Akron has through the TP and NIL brought in high quality players and people. Akron isn't desperate and doesn't need to abandon this cultural foundation. The question isn't about who is out there to hire. The question revolves around who is out there and who is a good fit for Akron. There are many good coaches. We need to find the best one for Akron.

I think what we are rooting for here is the continuation of the Akron ecosystem. 1. Bud leads the FearTheRoo Collective. 2. Ford develops players. Zips nearly ALL become paid pros, mostly overseas. They make decent money and invest it with.... 3. Bud. 4. Rinse and repeat. 5. At regular gatherings, alumni talk to current Zips, who talk to recruits and recruits' parents about the way things work at UA... 6. Rinse and repeat. 7. A vote for Ford (though I was a Carter supporter) is a vote for continuing a winning ecosystem at UA.

The larger picture is there is no guarantee that a national coaching search leads to greater success. Especially if it leads to alienating your largest financial backers. The portal opens in a week. Unless you want a year 0 by running out players like Mark Kostelec a decision needs made soon.

It could be. Or, it could be guys who know the inner workings and how important Ford has been to the X's/O's and player development. Definitely not saying you're hating, just don't think this is a situation that needs much open-mindedness given the response around the program. This is by far the worst "coaching search" thread in the world considering the program response haha.

JG sure gets an upgrade on facilities compared to the high school gym that is the JAR.

100% agree about your first point. Anyway, support from former players and people around the program matters a lot, but it’s often based on relationships and familiarity—not an objective evaluation of who the best head coach is going forward. The hire should be about proven ability to lead a program, make tough decisions, and elevate Akron moving forward. I'm not hating on Ford whatsoever, I'm just trying to be open-minded.

I don't think a young Gerry Faust is the answer.

Except for the Hurleys.

Not talking about when he was hired here. Agree it was highly positive. My comment was about our perspective when he was patrolling the sidelines of OU. In my memory, Charlie Coles was pretty much the only opposing coach that we didn't have healthy dislike for. People mature over the years.

If it wasn't for the impending sanctions for the Stallions stuff, Michigan never would've gone with Sherrone Moore as their replacement for Harbaugh. Sherrone did Michigan a favor by being a POS human Wentz, former players, etc., are telling the world Ford is the guy. Those closest to the program know what the program needs. I trust them.

Maybe it's not just about the job.