AMHERST, Mass. (AP) - University of Massachusetts basketball
coach Travis Ford is leaving the Amherst campus for the head
coaching job at Oklahoma State.

UMass associate athletic director for media relations Jason
Yellin confirmed that Ford is departing the school after taking the
Minutemen to the NIT championship game this year.

Ford turned down a job offer from Big East school Providence and
had also previously been linked to an opening at LSU that was
eventually filled when Trent Johnson left Stanford to take it.

Just last week, UMass athletic director John McCutcheon had
announced that Ford intended to stay with the Minutemen.

Ford told reporters he chose to stay at UMass because of loyalty over more money.

That changed in one week.

Ford led UMass to a 25-11 record this season and the appearance
in the NIT championship game, where it lost to Ohio State.