McKendree University Director of Athletics Anthony Francis has announced the hiring of
Barry Ford as the school's new head men's and women's track and field coach. Ford will be entering his sixth season leading the Bearcat's track and field team in the 2026-2027 season.
"I'm very excited to welcome Coach Barry Ford as the newest member of our Bearcat family," Francis said. "He is someone that is well-respected in the Metro St. Louis area and has some familiarity with McKendree and the GLVC and I know he is the right person to come in and help lead our track and field program to new heights. I'm excited to see the track teams get to work with Coach Ford at the helm."
Ford replaces former coach Ange Eggerth, who was recently named the Associate Head Track and Field Coach at Tulane University.
"I would like to thank Anthony Francis and the McKendree University Administration for allowing me this opportunity to serve as the men's and women's track and field coach with the Bearcats," Ford said. "I am very excited to be part of Bearcat Nation and to lead this program to our next chapter in our development into one of the premier track programs in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC)."
Before McKendree:
Ford comes to McKendree after spending the past four years as an assistant track and field coach at fellow Great Lakes Valley Conference school, Maryville University. In his time with the Saints, Ford was in charge of coaching the men's and women's sprinters.
In his four years at Maryville, Ford helped his sprinters set 28 new school records, earn four Great Lakes Valley Conference Athlete of the Week honorees, a GLVC Athlete of the Year, two Track & Field Academic All-Americans, two USTFCCCA All-Americans and three NCAA Division II National Championship qualifiers.
Prior to coaching at Maryville, Ford spent 28 years coaching high school track and field at Clayton High School. He served as Clayton's Girls Track and Field Coach from 1994-2017 and was an Assistant Boys Track and Field coach from 1989-93.
During his time at Clayton, he coached numerous Conference, District and Missouri State Champions.
As a collegiate student-athlete, Ford competed in track and field in 1982-83 at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Ark. In his one year at UCA, he was an All-Conference performer and was an NAIA National qualifier in 100-meter dash in 1983. Along with competing in track and field at UCA, Ford also competed in track and field at Harding University in Searcy, Ark., from 1985-88. Ford still ranks in the Top 10 in the 100-meter dash on UCA's all-time charts.
He is married to his high school sweetheart, Rosalyn, and the couple have three children, Shatara, Barissa and Brandon.
Ford earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Physical Education & Health at Harding University in 1988 and received his Master of Arts in Education from Harding University in 1996.
Coaching Accolades:
Ford has taken the Bearcat's track and field program to a higher level since taking over in 2021, with multiple GLVC Championship 2nd and 3rd place finishes for the men's and women's teams. Some star athletes Ford has coached include:
- Malachi Carrol: won the 2022 GLVC Indoor 60 meter dash (6.21), won the 2023 GLVC outdoor 100 and 200 meter dash (10.23 & 21.26), national qualifier
- Brendan Harter: won the 2023 GLVC Indoor High Jump (2.01 meters)
- John Bush: won the 2024 GLVC outdoor 800 meter dash (1:50.82)
- Matthew Chandler, David Richards, Roemello Byndloss and John Bush: 2024 GLCV 4x400 relay indoor champions (3:16.3)
- Kierson Wicks: won the 2025 GLVC indoor high jump (2.12 meters), national qualifier
- Mickayla Sutherland: won the 2026 outdoor GLVC 400 meter dash (53.60), national qualifier
