| James Ford | |
| Fullname: | James Ford |
| Birth Date: | 1982 9, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Yorkshire, England |
| Year1start: | 2003 |
| Year1end: | 05 |
| Appearances1: | 34 |
| Tries1: | 6 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Fieldgoals1: | 0 |
| Points1: | 24 |
| Club2: | Sheffield Eagles |
| Year2start: | 2005 |
| Year2end: | 08 |
| Appearances2: | 78 |
| Tries2: | 49 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Fieldgoals2: | 0 |
| Points2: | 196 |
| Club3: | Castleford Tigers |
| Year3start: | 2009 |
| Appearances3: | 10 |
| Tries3: | 2 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Fieldgoals3: | 0 |
| Points3: | 8 |
| Club4: | Widnes Vikings |
| Year4start: | 2010 |
| Year4end: | 11 |
| Appearances4: | 16 |
| Tries4: | 6 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Fieldgoals4: | 0 |
| Points4: | 24 |
| Year5start: | 2011 |
| Year5end: | 14 |
| Appearances5: | 57 |
| Tries5: | 23 |
| Goals5: | 0 |
| Fieldgoals5: | 0 |
| Points5: | 92 |
| Coachyear1start: | 2015 |
| Coachyear1end: | 22 |
| Coachgames1: | 91 |
| Coachwins1: | 64 |
| Coachdraws1: | 1 |
| Coachlosses1: | 16 |
| Coachyear2start: | 2023 |
| Coachyear2end: | present |
| Coachgames2: | 34 |
| Coachwins2: | 22 |
| Coachdraws2: | 0 |
| Coachlosses2: | 12 |
| Retired: | no |
| Updated: | 18 Aug 2024 |
| Source: | [1] [2] |
James Ford (born 29 September 1982) is an English professional rugby league coach who is the Director of Rugby at Featherstone Rovers in the Betfred Championship, and a former player.
As a player Ford played in the Super League for Castleford Tigers and the Widnes Vikings, as a but also played at, and on the . Ford signed initially for the Featherstone Rovers as a youth in 1998, before moving on to the Sheffield Eagles, and then Castleford in 2008. Ford made his first-grade début whilst playing for the Castleford Tigers in Super League in a 28–6 win away to the Warrington Wolves in 2009's Super League XIV, and he went on to make a total of eight appearances, scoring once. In late 2009, he left the club for Widnes. During his playing and early coaching career, he was a lecturer at Wakefield College.[3]
After retiring as a player in 2014, Ford took over as head coach at York, and became the club's first ever full-time coach in 2018.[4] In November 2021, he extended his contract with the club until the end of 2024.[5] In October 2022 Ford resigned from York to become assistant coach at Super League club Wakefield Trinity.[6]
On 16 May 2023 he was announced as the new Director of Rugby at Featherstone Rovers.[7] He was later announced on 18 Aug 2023 to take over as head coach following the sacking of Sean Long.[8]