Dustin Ford Announces Three New Additions to Staff

AKRON, Ohio - University of Akron men's basketball coach Dustin Ford has announced three new additions to his coaching staff.

Ford welcomes Jay Shunnar, Todd May and Joshua Jones to his staff ahead of the 2026-27 season. Assistant coaches Terry Weigand and Devan Morrow return to fill out Ford's staff.

Shunnar joins the Zips after spending the 2025-26 season in Denton, Texas, guiding the North Texas Mean Green under Daniyal Robinson. North Texas finished tied for fifth in the American Conference standings and reached the quarterfinals of the 2026 American Conference Tournament. UNT's 19 wins were the second-most in program history by a first-year Mean Green staff and its nine conference wins were also the second-most by a first-year UNT staff. North Texas' .576 win percentage was the second-best ever by a first-year UNT staff in its DI era and the best in 50 years.

"We couldn't be happier to name Jay our Associate Head Coach," said Ford. "Jay is a guy who builds relationships and has worked with some of the best coaches in the game. By having someone like Jay on the staff, he will make everyone's job easier. His personality and energy is contagious. It makes me feel good knowing I have a coach like Jay around to help us make big decisions."

Shunnar was critical in the development of sophomore guard Je'Shawn Stevenson, who earned second-team American Conference All-Conference honors as he averaged 17.3 points per game and 2.0 steals per game. His 572 total points scored were the fourth-most in the league that year. Stevenson led UNT in 3-pointers with 74 and his 66 steals were the second most in program history and led the league that season.

Shunnar came to North Texas after spending the previous three seasons on Robinson's bench at Cleveland State. Shunnar had stops at Butler University, Michigan, Ann Arbor Huron High School and in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"I am thrilled to join Coach Ford's staff at the University of Akron", said Shunnar. "Dustin is a proven leader, winner and man of character. Dustin was one of the best assistant coaches in the country, and I am honored he has added me to his staff in his first year as head coach. I look forward to working with our student-athletes, staff and administration to continue building on the success Akron has built. I am grateful to be in Akron and look forward to competing for MAC League Championships."

May joins the Zips after serving as the head men's basketball coach at Concord University in Athens, W.VA. May was the third-winningest coach at Concord, picking up 152 wins over his 10-year stint on the sidelines.

"My relationship with TJ dates back close to 25 years", said Ford. "TJ is one of those guys who is willing to do whatever it takes to help you win. While at Concord, he took his team to the NCAA tournament and knows what it takes to win at the most important time of the year. TJ is going to help oversee all facets of our program, and I'm looking forward to seeing him impact our program daily."

The last three years May spent on the sidelines inside the Carter Center proved to be one of the best three-year runs for Mountain Lion men's basketball.

May guided Concord to the 2024 NCAA Division II Tournament—the first at-large berth in the national tournament for CU since 1954. The 2023-24 Mountain Lions piled up 22 wins, which were the third-most wins for the program in a single season.

The 54 wins that May was on the sidelines for over the last three seasons were the best three-year run for CU since the late 1980s and early 1990s. Additionally, the three straight conference tournament semifinals that May led Concord to in finishing up his time in Athens were the first time making the final four of the conference tournament three straight years since 1994-98.

In 10 years, May coached two All-Americans in Tommy Bolte and Kollin Tolbert, who was the MEC Player of the Year last spring, the first two MEC Defensive Players of the Year in league history, four all-region players and 11 all-conference players.

"Having followed the Akron Basketball program the last 9 years due to my relationship with Dustin and also having played them 3 times in those 9 years, the opportunity to join him and one of the top mid-major programs in the country was a no-brainer," said May. "My wife, Megan, and I are excited to come back to Ohio, where we were raised, and will be closer to family. I am incredibly excited to join the University of Akron staff and the team in the quest for a fourth straight MAC Championship, and to develop student-athletes both on and off the court. Go Zips!"

Jones joins the Zips after serving as an assistant at North Dakota State for six seasons.

"Josh is a great basketball coach, but a better person who will help our players develop on and off the court," said Ford. After a terrific playing career, Josh quickly established himself as an outstanding coach. This past season, Josh's fingerprint was all over the North Dakota State program, helping them win both the regular season and conference tournament championship."

The 2025-26 season saw the Bison post a 27-8 overall record and a 14-2 record in the Summit League. The Bison's 27 wins were the most victories since joining the Summit League North Dakota State claimed both the regular and conference tournament titles, finishing its season in the NCAA Tournament in Buffalo, N.Y., falling to Michigan State in the first round.

Jones came to NDSU from Western Illinois University, where he served as an assistant coach for four seasons from 2016-20. Prior to his time at WIU, Jones was an assistant at Division II Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo., for two seasons from 2014-16.

Jones helped lead the Blue Tigers to their most successful season in 15 years during the 2015-16 season. Lincoln won 16 games, went 12-2 at home and won its first postseason game since 1987. The Blue Tigers beat three teams who ended up qualifying for the NCAA Division II Central Regional and broke or tied eight single-season records.

One of the winningest players in Eastern Kentucky history, Jones spent the 2013-14 season as a graduate assistant at EKU. As a player, Jones led Eastern Kentucky to 76 victories over four years, and is 19th on EKU's career scoring list with 1,192 points, started all four years, including all but two games during his final three seasons with the Colonels.

"My family and I are extremely excited to join Coach Ford and the University of Akron basketball program," said Jones. "Akron has a rich tradition and a strong sense of pride, and I am honored to be part of it. I look forward to contributing to the continued success and growth of the program while building meaningful connections within the Akron community."

Morrow enters his sixth season with the Zips, currently serving as an assistant coach while starting his career in the Rubber City as a graduate assistant. Morrow played a key role in the development of Enrique Freeman, Ali Ali and Greg Tribble who all were All-MAC selections in their senior years. Freeman was ultimately drafted by the Pacers in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft.

"Devan has been my right-hand man for the last five years," said Ford. What I love about Devan is that when it comes to coaching, he doesn't have a weakness. Our former players will tell you that Devan has impacted our program at a high level. His work ethic and humility are a great example for our players daily. You're not going to find a better young coach in the country than Devan."

"Staying here at Akron was one of the easiest decisions I have had to make in my career," said Morrow. "This place is special. I know working for Coach Ford is an awesome opportunity because I've seen his impact every day for the last five years on our student-athletes. Through all the highs and lows of the last half a decade, one thing has remained true, this program is about the players. We have been blessed to coach some of the best Akron has ever had, and it is our mission to continue to recruit, develop and retain those high-level student-athletes. From the numerous "you better not be leaving" texts from former players and my family up the road in Cleveland, Akron is home for my wife, Bella, and me. We are extremely fortunate for Coach Ford and the opportunity to keep pursuing the standards and goals we have set in place here at the University of Akron."

Weigand returns for his second season at Akron after making his return to the 330 in 2025-26. Prior to returning to the Zips in 2025, Weigand served under former Zips Head Coach Keith Danbrot at Duquesne from 2017-18 through 2023-24. The Barberton, Ohio native who coached his 1,000th career game during Duquesne's 2022-23 season, spent 13 seasons as an assistant on Dambrot's staff at Akron, where his primary focus was in the area of player development.

The Zips will look to build on their program-defining 2025-26 campaign and have their sights set on their fourth straight Mid-American Conference Tournament title.

The University of Akron Athletics

Dustin Ford Announces Three New Additions to Staff

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