Starting his twelfth year at OBU, Track Coach Ford Mastin’s teams will have a hard time improving on the outcome of last year’s record breaking teams. The women won the Indoor National Championship and the men won the Outdoor National Championship. Along with the Championships came National Coach of the Year awards to bring Mastin’s total to four - one in 1998, one in 2005, and two in 2007.

On the national level, the Lady Bison have won two National Championships, one runner-up, and two third place finishes. The Bison have won one National Championship, two runner-up, four third place finishes, and five fourth place finishes in Mastin’s eleven years.

In the Sooner Athletic Conference, The Lady Bison Track teams have a winning streak of eleven years in a row. The women’s cross country team has won nine out of the last eleven SAC titles. The Men’s Track team have won nine out of the last eleven, while the Men’s cross country teams have won seven out of the last eleven.

Since arriving in 1996-1997, the OBU cross country and track programs have produced more than 300 All-American awards under Mastin, who was named OBU’s Most Promising Teacher in 2001.

Mastin, who has a master of divinity degree from Southwestern Theological seminary and a master of education degree from East Central university, is a 1977 graduate of OBU. He lettered in track from 1973-1977 and was captain and Most Valuable athlete in his senior season.

His coaching career began at Texas Christian University as assistant track and head cross country in 1979. He became teacher and coach at Happy Hill Academy in 1980-1981. From 1982-1996, Mastin served as track, cross country, and assistant football coach at Prague High School in Oklahoma. While there, he coached 13 All-State award winners. He was named Oklahoma Track Coach of the year and USA Track and Field representative of Olympic development in Oklahoma in 1994.

Ford and his wife, Terri, have three children, Linsey, Trevor, and Kaeley.