Adam Ford is excited to coach both the men’s and women’s tennis teams at Hope College. Ford has been hired as Hope’s head men’s tennis coach, co-athletic director Melinda Larson announced.
Ford will continue as the Flying Dutch’s women’s tennis coach.
Larson said Hope is extremely pleased that Ford will be leading both the programs.
“Coach Ford is not only an expert technician and tennis coach, he cares deeply about building positive relationships and contributing to the holistic education of our students,” Larson said.
Ford is Hope’s 11th head men’s tennis coach and follows Steve Gorno.
“I am very excited for this opportunity,” Ford said. “The men's team has been very successful for a very long time and have a great culture of sportsmanship. I can tell this group of men are determined to improve and take this program to the next level.
“I am ready to get to work and use a lot of the same principles we live by in our women's program, while still leaving the already amazing integrity of the men's program intact.”
Ford has served as Hope’s women’s tennis coach since the 2013 season. He has guided the Flying Dutch to a 52-18 overall record, two Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships and three NCAA Division III Championships appearances.
Ford is no stranger to Hope tennis. When he was appointed head women’s coach, he had been employed at the college's DeWitt Tennis Center since 2005 and served as the facility's head pro since 2010.
In high school, Ford was a two-time state champion at Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central High School.
In college, Ford played tennis for four seasons at NCAA Division I Northern Illinois University where he graduated with a degree in communication studies. At Northern Illinois, Ford and his doubles partner were ranked as high as 33rd nationally among Division I players.
Ford’s teaching prowess was recognized by the Professional Tennis Registry, which named him the 2011 Michigan Tennis Pro of the Year.
Ford is a United States Professional Tennis Association P1 Tennis Professional, a Professional Tennis Registry Professional and United States Tennis Association High Performance Tennis Coach.