Ford providing stability in Temple’s new era

Temple Fencing assistant coach Tasia Ford remained with the program after former head coach Nikki Franke retired and has become instrumental to the team.

Tasia Ford was once a fencer for Temple University and is now an assistant coach for the team. | COURTESY / TEMPLE ATHLETICS

When legendary Temple fencing coach Nikki Franke retired in 2022 after 50 years leading the program, multiple players and assistant coaches had to decide whether or not they wanted to stay. 

One person facing that decision was assistant coach Tasia Ford. The former Temple sabre had only been a full-time coach for two seasons before debating whether she should stay at Temple without Franke or leave to coach another program.

Temple hired Jennie Salmon to fill Franke’s shoes and she was told one thing by people in and around the program upon taking the job — keep Ford around. Like Ford, Salmon was also a former Temple fencer which made the decision to stay easy for Ford. In the past three years, Ford has become the glue that has held the program together during a time of transition and she is now thriving in her role. 

“As a coach, I always have goals to progress my career, but I also know that I’m not done here at Temple,” Ford said. “This is a home to me and I feel very comfortable continuing my personal growth being a part of this team. So for right now this is my home and I am very happy to be here.”

Ford’s first few seasons as a college coach have provided the program with tangible results. She has helped lead the Owls to a 90-51 record in her first four seasons, including the third 30-win season in program history in 2022-23. 

In her first season, Ford helped the Temple send 12 fencers to the NCAA Fencing Championships, the maximum amount that can qualify. In 2021 and 2022, she was a finalist for assistant coach of the year. Ford primarily works with sabreists and last season she helped guide the group to a 32-9 record, the third highest mark in program history.

So far this year, Ford has aided Temple to a 17-6 record that includes wins against ranked opponents like Yale and Stanford. The Owls had a rich history when Franke led the program, and the duo of Salmon and Ford ushered in a new era of success. 

“The fact that the program was able to not skip a beat in a transformational time when Coach Franke decided to step down is a testament to Tasia,” Salmon said. “She was the glue and the thing that was there prior. That was a huge role for her to take on and she’s been quite successful.”

Fencing has been a major part of Ford’s life since she was eight years old. After cycling through different individual sports, she decided to follow her brother, Tyler, to one of his fencing practices. She kept going to the practices and eventually the coaches began insisting that she started practicing. Once she did, she fell in love with the sport. 

Ford was a natural on the strip and eventually made her way to Temple, where she competed under Franke’s guidance. From 2010-14, Ford was a top performer for Franke and the Owls, finishing with a career record of 123-96 and qualifying for regionals all four years. 

Ford no longer competed on the strip after graduating but kept the sport in her life by getting involved with the local Delaware Valley Fencers club as a coach. Before she knew it, Franke came calling once again. 

“She was a leader, both her junior year when she was squad leader and then her senior year she was team captain and that’s voted on by the team,” Franke said. “It shows the kind of respect that her teammates had for her. When she started coaching, I knew of her. I would run into her at tournaments and we had conversations about coaching. When [the assistant coach] vacancy opened up, she was one of the first people that I thought about.” 

Just six years after her college fencing career ended, Franke convinced Ford to return home. Ford rejoined the program in the spring of 2020 as a volunteer assistant coach and was promoted to a full-time assistant for the 2020-21 season. 

Ford’s second stint with the Owls has arguably been just as successful as her first. She has become a player favorite in the locker room and helped her players reach their full potential. Her coaching abilities and friendliness have helped set her apart on the sidelines.

“[Coach Ford] is very passionate about what she does,” said foilist Constanca Dimas. “She dedicates a lot of time to the team and above all, she’s everyone’s friend and not only a coach. So I think that’s the big difference between her and other coaches.”

Ford’s coaching career has gotten off to a hot start. She has used her playing experience to make her transition to the sidelines smooth and became an anchor for the program in a time of change. 

Like any assistant coach, the thought of being a head coach has crossed Ford’s mind. However, for now she is happy at the place she calls home.

“[Becoming a head coach] is definitely the goal in my head,” Ford said. “I think that opportunity will present itself when I’m ready and the right job comes. But it’s not something that I’m trying to rush. I truly believe that things happen for a reason and I’ll find that opportunity when it’s the best fit for me.”

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