Arkansas Business

Carter Ford

Carter Ford, Arkansas State’s assistant athletic director for football, spent his first couple weeks on the job working out of other people’s offices and available conference rooms. It was an unusual setup, but little about Ford’s career path has been ordinary so far.

Ford, a Paragould native and one of the country’s youngest assistant ADs, graduated from the University of Arkansas with a biochemistry degree in 2010. He was headed to med school until a stint as student body president got him interested in athletics and higher education.

That led to Ford working on the Razorback Foundation’s Razorback Seat Value Plan, a seat-licensing program that helped pump $6 million into the UA athletic coffers. From there he spent a year-and-half as an aide to Gov. Mike Beebe until joining Gus Malzahn’s staff at ASU in June.

Ford’s background in politics and at an SEC school is already paying off for the Red Wolves. ASU has made improvements to game day atmosphere at Liberty Bank Stadium under Ford’s direction, and he was instrumental in landing a Sunday afternoon slot on KATV for Gus Malzahn’s football coach’s show.

“It’s been hectic, but it’s rewarding to work for a coach, a program and a state I really believe in,” Ford said. “There’s an energy and excitement about Arkansas State across the state of Arkansas. Capitalizing on that is something we’re really proud of.”