Ford Stuen is in his second season as an assistant coach, and his fifth year on staff at Saint Louis University. In 2019-20, Stuen helped lead the Billikens to a 23-8 record and a double-bye in the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship. The Billikens were one of the hottest teams in the country prior to the season being canceled due to COVID-19.
Stuen was elevated to an assistant coach in the summer of 2019. He previously spent three years as Saint Louis University’s men’s basketball director of player development.
Upon being hired as an assistant, Stuen made his presence felt immediately on the recruiting trail, playing an integral part in the signing of fifth-year grad transfer Tay Weaver in 2019, as well as Markhi Strickland and Andre Lorentsson in the 2020 recruiting class.
Stuen’s work earned him recognition on a national level. In his first year as an assistant coach at SLU, Stuen garnered the attention of the NABC by being named to their prestigious 30 under 30 list, highlighting the best young coaches under the age of 30 in college basketball.
“First, I would like to thank Coach Ford and Chris May for this opportunity and for believing in me,” Stuen said at the time of his promotion to assistant coach. “I couldn't be more excited to work with these players, this staff and the SLU administration in our goal to continue to bring championships to St. Louis. I look forward to putting everything I have into this program and our players, both on and off the court.”
“We are very excited about promoting Ford,” Ford said. “He has been around my basketball programs for the last seven years – as both a player and as an administrative coach. Ford brings great knowledge and understanding of the game and a relentless work ethic. He lives the game of basketball day and night. Ford will bring great energy to Team Blue and will continue to be a great asset for our program.”
Stuen’s duties include recruiting, on-court coaching with primarily the guards, scouting and statistical breakdown, along with other duties assigned by the head coach. He also works diligently with the coaching staff to develop players on and off the court while assisting in the day-to-day management of the program.
At SLU, Stuen has been part of a staff that helped the Billikens to back-to-back 23-win campaigns. In 2018-19, the Billikens won the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
As Director of Player Development, Stuen’s responsibilities included managing the every-day internal aspects of the program, such as travel and equipment, meals, academics, summer basketball camps, and assisting with scouting and video operations.
Stuen played four years under Ford, his uncle, at Oklahoma State. Stuen was one of 20 Big 12 Conference student-athletes awarded the Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship.
A first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection for the Cowboys, Stuen was a career 46.2 percent shooter from the floor. He helped Oklahoma State to three NCAA Tournament appearances during his time in Stillwater.
A native of Henderson, Kentucky, Stuen prepped at Henderson County and spent a postgraduate year at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He was the starting point guard for IMG, which registered a 38-2 record against prep schools and was ranked among the top five nationally.
Stuen is married to the former Courtney Hurley. They have one daughter, Lucy, and reside in St. Louis.
