Denison University department of athletics announced Dara Ford as its Director of Track & Field and Cross Country in May 2026.
Ford arrives after spending the past 12 years as the Director of Track and Field and Cross Country at Otterbein University. As the director of track & field and cross country at Otterbein she led the women’s team to four titles, the men’s team to three, and her eighth OAC cross country title was won while coaching the JCU women’s cross country team.
She has tallied two women's indoor track and field OAC championships, eight OAC Coach of the Year awards, and four Ohio Coach of the Year awards. Throughout her career, Ford has coached 51 All-Americans and 106 NCAA qualifiers.
Prior to her time at Otterbein, Ford gained significant experience at a fellow North Coast Athletic Conference institution, John Carroll University, where she spent six years. Between her time as a Blue Streak and Cardinal, she coached 188 OAC Champions. Â
While at John Carroll, Ford played a crucial role in growing the women's cross country team. Starting with six members in 2007, the team expanded to 25 members by 2013 and became OAC Champions that year.
Ford, a native of Canton, Ohio, earned her bachelor's degree in biology with a minor in adolescent-to-young adult education in 2005 from the University of Mount Union, where she was a three-time Academic All-American. She was a five-time national qualifier in cross country and 3000-meter steeplechase, and still holds Mount Union records in the indoor 3000-meter run, steeplechase, and outdoor 5000-meter run.
This fall, she was recognized for her accomplishments as Otterbein's Director of Cross Country and Track and Field, earning her Mount Union's Duke Barret Award of Excellence. The award honors a member of the M Club for career experiences or activities that have brought honor and recognition to the individual and, in turn, Mount Union.
