Ayers is expecting to name another assistant next week.
Posted on Fri, Jul. 11, 2003
Sixers' Ayers makes Ford an assistant
The ex-NBA head coach is a Villanova Hall of Famer. Chris Jent also joined the staff.
By Kevin Tatum
Inquirer Staff Writer
New 76ers coach Randy Ayers moved closer to completing his staff of assistants yesterday with the addition of ex-NBA player and coach Chris Ford and Ayers prot?g? Chris Jent.
Ford, 54, a native of Atlantic City who played at Villanova before going on to help the Boston Celtics win three championships as a player and assistant coach, will be a bench coach under Ayers. Ford has been a head coach for three teams in the league.
Jent, 33, has been named assistant coach/player development coach. His main job will be to work with individual players during the season as well as in the off-season. Jent, who played for Ayers at Ohio State, had a three-year NBA career and was with the Houston Rockets when they won the title in 1993-94.
Ayers is expecting to name another assistant next week.
"I'm happy to have Chris Ford with us," Ayers said yesterday after the first session of the Sixers' summer camp. "I've watched his teams over the years, and I've respected him as a coach, and certainly as a player. He knows what it's like to win the last game of the season, and he did it three times. I'm happy to have his experience with us. Chris Jent was a joy to coach, and he has a great work ethic."
Jent will take over the duties that were handled by 46-year-old Bob Bender, who was elevated to assistant bench coach. Meanwhile, 25-year-old Frank Zanin has been promoted to assistant coach/advance scout. Zanin was the Sixers' video coordinator the last three seasons.
Ford, a 'Nova Hall of Famer who guided the Boston Celtics from the 1990-91 season through 1994-95, won two Atlantic Division titles with teams that were led by Larry Bird, Robert Parrish and Kevin McHale.
Ford was at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass., for two seasons before accepting the position with the Sixers. He last worked in the NBA as head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers, in the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 seasons.
"This is definitely a homecoming," said Ford, who was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the NBA draft in 1972. "I'm thrilled to be back in this area, and very thankful that Randy and [the Sixers' front office] gave me the opportunity to come back and assist, and work with Randy to make this a very successful season."
Bender, who was hired last year by then-Sixers coach Larry Brown, was a head coach on the collegiate level for 13 years. He took the University of Washington to four straight NCAA tournament appearances during a nine-year tenure and coached the Sixers' Todd MacCulloch.
Like Sixers president and general manager Billy King, Bender is an ex-Duke player. He was an assistant under Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski for six seasons.
"Bob Bender and I grew up together in the coaching profession," Ayers said. "And we certainly have been with Larry Brown last year, and being together for the start of the second year together will help."
"It's a great opportunity, number one, to have a chance to stay here in Philadelphia and be with Randy as he takes over," Bender said. "I've known Randy a long time, so it's a nice advantage to have a background and history with him."
Jent, who joined the team at Ohio State when current Maryland coach Gary Williams was directing the Buckeyes, played his final three seasons for Ayers as the squad won back-to-back Big Ten championships and made the NCAA tournament for three consecutive years.
"I'm really looking forward to this opportunity," Jent said. "Randy has been in the NBA for six years now, and he hasn't changed as a coach. The most important thing is that he's defense first, and he understands if you don't guard people, you don't win. With Gary Williams, the same thing. Then, with Randy, we really bonded as a team and he had a way of bringing us all together to have one goal, and that was to win."
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Contact staff writer Kevin Tatum at 215-854-2583 or
[email protected].
Could this spell doom coming around the corner for PV?