The lessons Thomas Ford Jr. learned at Linfield University have followed him every stop of his coaching career. As the head coach of Idaho, Ford credits Linfield's renowned football program for teaching him the value of building strong relationships and a winning culture. With a long history of massive success, Linfield has held the longest streak of consecutive winning seasons across all levels of college football at 69 as of 2025. Ford spent 2001-04 as a running back with the Wildcats in McMinnville, Ore., before returning to Linfield to start his coaching career in 2007-08. His time with the Wildcats was a catalyst for him, and he says it helped develop his personal coaching philosophy and approach to the game. Ford's playing time at Linfield included setting the single-game rushing record of 237 yards in 2003 and ranking fifth all-time on the career rushing list with 2,333 yards. He is also a team captain of the Wildcats' 2004 DIII national champion team that was later inducted into the Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016. Ford's coaching philosophy is built on the same principles that made Linfield successful, and he is committed to passing on those lessons to his players. With his experience and knowledge, Ford is well-equipped to lead Idaho to success in the coming seasons. Next fixture: vs Cliftonville FC (at home, 2026-12-19) (2nd in the table).