OSU Basketball Coach Booted From Son's High School Game In Bixby

Oklahoma State men's basketball coach Travis Ford was kicked out of his son's basketball game in Bixby Thursday.

Ford's son Brooks plays for the Pioneers, who lost to Bartlesville 63-51 in the first round of the Bixby tournament. Brooks Ford led the team with 13 points.

A Bartlesville radio play-by-play announcer witnessed Ford's ejection with 5:14 left in the fourth quarter of the game.

Listen to the broadcast.

An Oklahoma City newspaper talked with Bill Van Ness, Stillwater's radio play-by-play announcer, and he said, "I don't know what he said. I was on the other side of the gym, but apparently got ejected. It looked like (he was escorted out). That's what it appeared to me that it was."

News On 6 sports reporter Charlie Hannema says a person at the game told him Travis Ford wasn't doing anything differently than any other parent, but the ref probably wanted to make a point.  

Ford was escorted out of the gym by a Bixby school official.

OSU released a statement from the coach Friday:

"We have consistent dialogue with our student-athletes about their representation of Oklahoma State University and Cowboy Basketball. The lesson is always that there are no days off from that responsibility. While people can debate whether my comments to a referee during a high school game involving my son warranted being asked to leave the building, as Mike Holder and I discussed this morning, there is no question I should have exercised better judgement in not publicly expressing my feelings.

I regret the situation, and apologize for the unfortunate and unwanted distraction it has caused."