7 reasons why OSU should keep Travis Ford…

11:28 AM EDT on March 31, 2015

Last night, disturbing reports trickled out of Stillwater claiming that Oklahoma State University is considering a buyout of Travis Ford's contract.

Via ESPN.com:

The Oklahoma State Cowboys are considering the possibility of firing coach Travis Ford after being ousted in the first round of the NCAA tournament for the third straight year, sources confirmed to ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman.
The chance of Ford being fired is "50-50," one source close to the situation said.
The news was first reported by The Oklahoman, which cited multiple unnamed sources.

I'm not sure what strange world Cowboys fans live in, but getting rid of Travis Ford would be a colossal mistake. The guy can flat out coach! I know this from watching Bedlam basketball games over the years. Since Ford took over in 2008, he's defeated my beloved Sooners something like six times. Yes, six times! That's about .85 wins per season. Considering most universities go years, if not decades, without a victory against Oklahoma, that's something OSU fans can hang their cowboy hat on.

When I first heard this news, my instinct was to start a Go Fund Me and raise enough money to keep Coach Ford around. He's the perfect coach for OSU! But that seems like too much work. Instead, let me at least give some reasons why OSU fans, boosters and athletic directors should stick with him. Please remember that I'm not an OSU fan, and all this comes from an unbiased, outsider perspective...

1. He's made the NCAA Tournament five times...

This is Ford's seventh season at Oklahoma State, and he's made the tournament in five of those seasons. In a day and age when only 68 teams make the NCAA Tournament, that's quite an accomplishment.

2. He has won an NCAA Tournament Game...

Who could forget the Cowboy's majestic run through the NCAA Tournament in the 2008 - 2009 season. Making the field as an under-the-radar 8-seed, the Cowboys snuck by Tennessee in the first round only to have their one shining moment stopped by a tough Pittsburgh squad.

3. He's the country's greatest recruiter of little white guys who can shoot...

To win a basketball game, you have to make three pointers, and who's better at making a wide open three than the stereotypical little white guy who can shoot? Ford, a little white guy who can shoot himself, knows this better than anyone. That's why during his coaching tenure he's recruited such deadly marksman as Keiton Page and Phil Forte. Although they're not allowed to ride the roller coasters at Six Flags, these one-dimensional jitter bugs strike fear into the hearts of coaches on OSU's exhibition schedule.

4. He only makes about $2.5-million a year in compensation...

We know college coaches are overpaid, but who else are you going to get for only $2.5-million? Wichita State's Greg Marshall?! Whatever. Like he would leave a storied program like Wichita State for Stillwater.

5. He's under contract...

You don't have to worry about Travis Ford bolting for a better job anytime soon. The guy is under contract through 2018 - 2019, and has a hefty buyout clause, ensuring that he'll likely be a Cowboy 4ever.

6. He's not Bill Self...

The most overrated coach in the country is Oklahoma State alum Bill Self. During his coaching career, he's only led three teams to the Elite 8 and won a national championship. Why would Oklahoma State want a guy like him? They should be content with what they have.