Deja Ford

Deja Ford is in her second season at Akron following a standout playing career at the College of Charleston. The Waldorf, Md., native is in her second season serving as the team's director of basketball operations for the 2024-25 campaign.

Ford handles the day-to-day business operations of the team with a primary focus on travel coordination and community outreach projects.

Ford, who was a four-year letterwinner with the Cougars, surpassed the 1,000-point plateau at the College of Charleston, where she garnered All-Colonial Athletic Association third-team accolades as a senior and was named the department’s Female Athlete of the Year in 2020.

Ford earned her bachelor’s degree in in psychology with a minor in coaching in 2020 before going on to culminate her master’s degree in education with a concentration in leadership from Saint Francis University in 2023. While with the Red Flash, she served as a graduate assistant with the women’s basketball squad where she worked as the video coordinator, while assisting travel and equipment and did individual workouts.

A two-time first-team all-league selection, Ford attended St. Mary's Ryken High School in Leonardtown, Md., where she surpassed 1,000 career points and averaging 16.8 points per game. She earned all-state, all-region and all-district honors as a senior.