Skip area navigation

OBU Track Coach to Speak at Winter Commencement

December 12, 2001

Seventy-one Oklahoma Baptist University seniors will have a degree conferred upon them Friday at the University's Winter Commencement in Raley Chapel, starting at 2 p.m.

Ford Mastin, assistant professor of health, physical education and recreation, will deliver the commencement address. Mastin, who is also the track coach at OBU, was named Most Promising Teacher at last spring's commencement.

Mastin, who joined the OBU faculty in 1996, was named 1998 NAIA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year. He's also captured region and Sooner Athletic Conference coaching awards in cross country and track and field. His first women's cross country team set a new standard for the OBU program and has progressed to the rank of NAIA power.

The Lady Bison cross country team has won six straight region and conference titles while Lady Bison track teams have both won the Sooner Athletic Conference championships for the last five years. The Bison track team had its conference streak of three consecutive titles ended in 2000, but won again in 2001. The men's cross country team won the SAC title in 1998, 2000 and 2001.

Mastin, who has a master of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a master of education degree from East Central University, is a 1977 graduate of OBU. He lettered in track from 1973-77 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 coach in 1978. He became athletic director, teacher and coach at Happy Hill Academy in Glen Rose, Texas, in 1980, serving until 1982.

From 1982-96 he served as track, cross country and assistant football coach at Prague High School in Oklahoma. While there he coached 13 All-State award winners and two Olympians. 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.