Lauren Ford was named the second permanent men's volleyball head coach in Goshen College history on July 2, 2021.
A former professional player for five-plus years in Finland, Germany, the Philippines, Switzerland and Spain, Ford played Division I volleyball at the University of South Carolina, where she was a three-year letterwinner from 2003 to 2006. She graduated with a degree in experimental psychology.
Ford came to Goshen in 2019 as an assistant women's volleyball coach. She joined the Maple Leafs from northeastern Pennsylvania, where she was head volleyball coach in the Pocono Mountain School District in 2018. Before that, she served as head volleyball coach at Warren Central High School in Indianapolis in 2015 and assisted the Warriors from 2012 to 2014.
She has also been a travel coach for All-American Volleyball Camps since 2012 and was a Team Indiana Volleyball Club head coach from 2014-16.
At South Carolina, Ford graduated with the most kills per set and second-most blocks of any player in the rally scoring era. Entering the 2019 season, she ranked 10th and sixth, respectively, in those categories. She still holds the rally-era record for blocks per set at 1.12.
Ford's 2004 season went down in Gamecock history with 118 blocks, a rally-era record, and a mark of 1.27 blocks that still stands as a record. Her 75 blocks in Southeastern Conference play were the second-most in program history to that point, and she still holds the program record with 13 blocks in a match. She was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week on October 12, 2004,
“We had a great pool of candidates for the head coach position,” said Dr. Erica Albertin, athletic director. “Lauren quickly rose to the top because of her professional playing experience, her passion and experience at Goshen College, and most importantly her drive to develop student-athletes. I am excited to welcome Lauren as the next head men's volleyball coach!”
In her time at Goshen, Ford has also served as the school’s student involvement coordinator, overseeing event planning in the student life division and working with the Campus Activities Council.
“I am very blessed and excited for the opportunity to lead this men's volleyball program at Goshen College,” Ford said. “This is a very inspiring and hardworking group of young men on the court and in the classroom. After only three years, there is already a solid foundation established that is rich in tradition and I look forward to building on that success. Let's get to work."
Ford is the second woman to assume sole responsibility for coaching a men’s team at GC. Allison Bailey was the first such female head coach, leading the men’s golf team from 2011-13.
Ford hails from Indianapolis, where she prepped at Lawrence North High School before going on to play her freshman season at the University of Wisconsin. She was a member of the 2001 U.S. Youth National Training Team and also lettered in basketball and track at Lawrence North.
