08/04/2026
Happy Heavenly Birthday Dad!
Join us in honoring the memory and celebrating the birthday of a Muskingum Valley legend, a 400-win coaching icon, and 2018 Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee, Gene Ford! ๐๐
Born in Zanesville, Ohio, on August 4, 1952, Gene was a 5-foot-8 point guard who played with unmatched heart and scoring punch. During his senior year at Indian Valley North High School, he put up a staggering 27.6 points per game to earn First-Team Class A All-Ohio honors, finishing his prep career with 1,310 points! ๐ด๐ฅ
He carried that high-octane offensive game straight to Muskingum College, where he became one of the greatest players in school history:
โจ He earned four varsity letters and poured in 1,717 career pointsโthe second-most in Muskingum history!
โจ He was named the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Athlete of the Year and earned a coveted spot on UPI's "Small America" squad.
Transitioning to the sidelines, Gene built one of the most respected coaching legacies in Ohio high school basketball history. After stints at Shenandoah and Tuscarawas Valley, he took over at Cambridge High School in 1980 and orchestrated an incredible 25-year run with the Bobcats:
โจ He compiled an amazing 400-183 record (.686 winning percentage) in Guernsey County, stringing together 11 seasons with 19 or more wins.
โจ He guided Cambridge to five state tournament appearances, highlighted by a Division II State Runner-Up finish in 1995! ๐
โจ He later returned to his alma mater, serving as the head coach at Muskingum University from 2007 to 2015. ๐
Though we lost Gene in 2019, his mentorship, relentless competitiveness, and legendary impact across southeastern Ohio will live on forever.
Drop a ๐ or leave your favorite memories of Coach Ford in the comments below to help us honor his legacy today! ๐
๐ Read his full Hall of Fame biography on our website: tinyurl.com/3wp9vfxd
