New Eastern Kentucky coach Travis Ford promised an aggressive style to turn around a team that won only six games last season. Ford, who played for Rick Pitino at Kentucky and coached at Campbellsville University, was hired Tuesday to replace Scott Perry at Eastern Kentucky. Perry resigned March 7 after a three-year record of 19-61 overall and 12-42 in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Colonels struggled to a 6-21 record this season, winning only two OVC games. Ford told fans Tuesday that they could look forward to a style of play similar to Florida, coached by another former Pitino player, Billy Donovan. I like to be the aggressor, to go after things that I want, Ford said. Ford, 30, was the Southeastern Conference Tournament MVP in 1993 and 1994, and was MVP in the 1993 NCAA Southeast Regional when Kentucky advanced to the Final Four under Pitino. Im excited about coming to EKU as the head coach and am looking forward to this opportunity, Ford said. Our goal is to finish at the top of the OVC in the near future and hopefully become one of the top programs in the Southeast. Ford was Mid-South Conference Coach of the year in 1998-99, and his Campbellsville team went 23-11 this season, losing in the first round in the NAIA tournament. Travis Ford is an outstanding young coach who possesses a great combination of energy, enthusiasm, coaching background, head coaching experience and Division I playing experience, as well as a burning desire to succeed, said Eastern Kentucky athletics director Jeff Long. Fords team went 16-17 in his first season, but the record was later changed to 7-26 after the Tigers agreed to forfeit 16 games in a settlement with the NAIA over questions about a transfers eligibility. The Tigers were 28-3 in his second season. His record over the three years at Campbellsville would be 67-31 without the forfeits. A native of Madisonville who starred at Madisonville-North Hopkins High School, Ford played one year at Missouri and was Big Eight Conference freshman of the year before transferring to Kentucky. Ford graduated from Kentucky in 1994 with a bachelor of science degree in communications. Following his playing career at Kentucky, Ford worked for a stock brokerage firm in Bowling Green. He also had a lead role in the Touchstone Pictures movie production The Sixth Man before replacing longtime coach Lou Cunningham at Campbellsville in 1997.I know Travis will always hold a dear place in his heart for Campbellsville University since we were the place that gave him his first opportunity to coach college ball, Campbellsville University President Michael V. Carter said in a statement. Even though we will greatly miss him, we know he will be successful at EKU.