Huntington Begins National Search for Men’s Basketball Head Coach, Alford Departs HU for Oral Roberts
Alford hired as associate head coach by Oral Roberts University
HUNTINGTON, Ind. — After five seasons leading the Forester men’s basketball program, head coach Kory Alford is stepping down to accept the position of associate head coach at NCAA Division I Oral Roberts University under newly named head coach Kory Barnett.
“I’m incredibly grateful to Huntington University for the opportunity to lead this storied basketball program over the past five seasons. It’s been one of the greatest honors of my life,” said Alford. “I’ve been blessed to work alongside an amazing staff and coach some of the most dedicated, high-character student-athletes you could ask for — young men who bought into a vision and gave everything to a standard of hard work and excellence.
“As God leads my family and me into a new and exciting chapter, we leave knowing that what we had here was truly special — and that the friendships formed will last a lifetime.”
Alford leaves behind one of the premier programs in the country. During his five years at the helm, he amassed 110 victories, including 19 wins against Top 25 opponents, while guiding the Foresters to an impressive 69.6% winning percentage (110-48).
Under his leadership, Huntington secured four consecutive NAIA National Tournament appearances, with the 2022 tournament run marking the program’s first national tourney victory since the 2005-2006 season. The Foresters advanced to the round of 32 three times under his direction. On three different occasions, his team also finished in the top three of the Crossroads League, arguably one of the toughest conferences in the country.
Alford coached two players who currently rank in the top five on HU’s all-time scoring list with each having scored over 2,000 career points. His players earned three NAIA All-American praises and 18 All-Conference accolades, including seven First Team honors and a Player of the Year designation.
Before Huntington, Alford served as the director of player development at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he was instrumental in scouting and recruiting efforts, securing nearly a dozen commitments in one year. His coaching career also includes four years as UCLA’s video analytics coordinator, where he specialized in film and statistical analysis and was part of three Sweet 16 appearances.
Alford’s ties to Barnett trace back to their time coaching together under Steve Alford at both UCLA and Nevada.
“We sincerely appreciate Kory’s leadership over the past five years as assistant athletic director and men’s basketball coach,” said athletic director Lori Culler. “He has made a lasting impact on his athletes and in our department. His hard work, passion and commitment have been invaluable, and we are truly grateful for his contributions. We wish him all the best in his new position.”
A national search for the next head coach will begin immediately with associate head coach Jared Jauch stepping in as the interim head coach during the search process.
The Huntington University Foresters compete in 18 intercollegiate sports for men and women. In the past decade, Huntington has produced 160 NAIA All-America honors and 567 All-America Scholar Athlete honors. Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. U.S. News & World Report ranks Huntington among the best colleges in the Midwest.
