University of North Carolina Athletics
Phil Ford Joins Educational Foundation Staff
March 14, 2001 | Men's Basketball
March 14, 2001
CHAPEL HILL - Phil Ford, the University of North Carolina's alltime leading basketball scorer and an assistant coach at his alma mater for 12 seasons, has joined the Educational Foundation staff as an associate vice-president.
The Educational Foundation is a non-profit organization that primarily raises scholarship money for UNC student-athletes and provides funding for capital projects.
Ford will have several duties, including fundraising, serving as a liaison with former Tar Heel student-athletes, working on a project to endow the UNC men's basketball program, managing the Carolina Outreach Program, coordinating the department's speakers bureau and directing community projects geared toward youth development.
"I've always been close to Moyer Smith and everyone associated with the Educational Foundation and respect the role it has in giving student-athletes a chance to attend this great University and play college athletics," says Ford. "I am looking forward to working with John Montgomery and his staff. This is a good opportunity for me to work with coaches and student-athletes across the athletic department and the UNC community. Coaching basketball has been an important part of my life for many years and I still have a passion for teaching the game to young players. Hopefully an opportunity to coach again will present itself sometime in the future."
The Rocky Mount, N.C., native led the Tar Heels to the 1975 and 1977 ACC Tournament championships, winning MVP honors as a freshman in 1975. In 1977, he led Carolina to the brink of a national championship. He is still the Tar Heels" alltime leading scorer with 2,290 points and is third alltime in assists with 753. Ford, the 1978 National Player of the Year, was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1979.
In Ford's 12 years as assistant coach, the Tar Heels went to the Final Four six times (1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998 and 2000) and won the ACC championship five times (1989, 1991, 1994, 1997 and 1998). The Tar Heels won 321 games while Ford was on the sidelines as assistant coach.
"Phil Ford has been an integral part of Carolina athletics for so many years," says Director of Athletics Dick Baddour. "We are glad to see him continue his service to the University in his new role with the Educational Foundation. Phil was one of our greatest players ever and helped us achieve great successes as a coach, and I foresee him making more outstanding contributions in the Educational Foundation. His role will be part fundraiser, part liaison with former student-athletes, and part community service leader. We are excited to have him back on our team. I also know Phil will continue to be an excellent candidate for head coaching jobs that may come available this year or in the future."
