[5] In his first season with Illinois State, Ford hardly made a significant impact on the team's backcourt scoring.
[6] Ford made eight starts in the entire year and scored his first points in his fourth collegiate appearance against Chattanooga.
By the end of his senior year, he ranked within the Missouri Valley Conference's Top 10 under the steals and blocks categories.
[7] Ford entered the 2006 NBA draft, which turned unsuccessful after he was not selected by a single team at the conclusion of the event.
[7] Ford's first year serving as an assistant coach was at Chipola College, where he led the Indians to an impressive 35–2 overall record and a third-place spot in the NJCAA National Tournament.
At age 26, this is the third time I have invited Dana to join my staff…he was first my graduate assistant at Winthrop, followed me to Wichita State, and then after sending him out into the world to Chipola, and to Tennessee State, where he has helped coach Cooper recruit a fine young group of players, I am inviting him back."
[11] Following his two seasons with his alma mater, Ford returned to Tennessee State for his first experience as a head coach.
[9] After going 5–26 in his inaugural season as head coach, Ford orchestrated the largest NCAA turnaround from 2014–15 to 2015–16 with a 15-win difference.
In 2015–16, Ford was named the OVC Coach of the Year, led his team to 20 wins, and a berth in the CIT postseason tournament.
[16] Ford is a supporter of his wife's charity, The Rebound Foundation, a non-profit that works to provide transitional housing to women and children who've experienced domestic abuse and educate on healthy relationships.