UPDATED 4:48 P.M.: Idaho hires former assistant Thomas Ford Jr. as head football coach
Ford was on Eck’s staff for two years
The University of Idaho has hired Thomas Ford Jr., a former assistant coach for the Vandals, as the program’s 37th head football coach.
Ford was Idaho’s running backs coach and special teams coordinator under former coach Jason Eck for two seasons.
"First I would like to thank my wife Shannon and my kiddos for being the support system most dream of," Ford said in a news release. "I would also like to thank Terry Gawlik and Scott Green for the tremendous opportunity they have provided. I couldn't be more excited to be coming back to the Palouse.”
Ford, a Seattle native, attended Linfield College and played professional indoor football for four years, winning a National Indoor Football League championship with the Tri-Cities Fever in 2005.
He coached at various schools, including Puget Sound in Tacoma and University of Washington and was most recently the running backs coach at Oregon State.
He began his coaching career at Linfield (Ore.) from 2007-08, then served as the special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach at Southeastern Oklahoma State (2009-12), before becoming the defensive coordinator at Puget Sound for the 2013 season.
Ford led Stadium High School for four years in Tacoma and then took the helm of Simon Frasier University, an NCAA D-II school in British Columbia before serving as a quality control analyst for the Washington Huskies on former coach Jimmy Lake’s staff.
He was Oregon State’s running backs coach this past season.
During his two years in Moscow, Ford coached running back Anthony Woods to first-team All-Big Sky Conference honors. He totaled 1,155 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. The Vandals also saw two special teams players — long snapper Hogan Hatten and returner Jermaine Jackson — earn NFL roster spots in 2024.
Ford’s hire comes on the heels of about 20 Vandals entering the transfer portal following Eck’s departure for New Mexico.
Several Vandals who are still on the roster celebrated Ford’s hiring, including quarterbacks Jack Wagner and Rocco Koch and linebacker Dylan Layne.
“Thank you everyone who has emailed and did the work to get us to this moment! Love yall! Vs up for life
Will not regret this we’re coming for that ring!” Koch posted on X.
Ford’s former boss celebrated his successor.
“Fired up for @VandalFootball and @CoachTFord! Great choice to keep the program's momentum going forward,” Eck posted on X.
