A coaching free agent, many Pittsburgh Steelers fans have connected the dots between the team and former WR Hines Ward. It’s not hard to do. A great player who worked an internship with the team years ago, he could serve as a strong mentor to a relatively young WR room that includes George Pickens, in the headlines for the wrong reasons as often as he’s been in them for the right ones.
But a new report indicates Pittsburgh might not be Ward’s next stop. According to Texasfootball.com’s Cory Hogue, Texas Southern has reached out to Ward about its head-coaching position. Per Hogue:
“Sources indicate the Tigers have contacted another former NFL wide receiver with recent experience as a head coach in the NFL – Hines Ward.”
Hogue mentions the school had previously shown interest in hiring former Houston Texans WR Andre Johnson but received pushback from donors and alums due to his lack of coaching experience. That led the school to pursue Ward, who was let go as the XFL-UFL San Antonio Brahmas’ head coach weeks ago, replaced by Wade Phillips. Hogue reports Ward was not fired but resigned due to the team changing the structure of his contract. According to a separate report from XFL News Hub, Ward was asked to take a pay cut, which he declined to do and left the team in response.
Hogue’s report notes the school is looking to make a notable hire.
“Ward is a semifinalist for the Hall of Fame and would be a “splash” hire, which sources indicate is a desire among some members of the Board of Regents,” he writes.
It should be noted Ward is no longer a Hall of Fame candidate this year, failing to make the finalists list for yet another season. Johnson is among the finalists.
After serving his internship with the Steelers during the summer of 2017, he was hired by the New York Jets as an offensive assistant for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Since then, he spent time as the WRs Coach at Florida Atlantic before being hired as the Brahmas’ head coach in 2022. In his lone season coaching the team, San Antonio went 3-7, losing three of its last four games.
Since moving on, Ward has been speculated to return to Pittsburgh, where he reportedly once came close to being hired as the Steelers’ WRs Coach, or land on Georgia’s coaching staff, something he said he’d jump at if ever given the opportunity. So far, this is the only report indicating a school or team that has interest. Of course, the Steelers are gearing up for the postseason and aren’t evaluating the future of their coaching staff. Hired in 2022, Frisman Jackson currently serves as Pittsburgh’s wide receivers coach.
Texas Southern, an FCS school that plays in the SWAC, went 3-8 in 2023 and hasn’t had a winning season in years. Head coach Clarence McKinney was let go, his contract not renewed, after five seasons with the team. Hogue’s report notes salary could be an issue for Ward and any potential notable hires. McKinney’s salary was only just above $300,000, which could prove tough to convince Ward to agree to a long-term deal.
The school has reportedly interviewed other candidates, including UFL Coach Brett Maxie, a Texas Southern alum, and Fred McNair, who had been unable to agree contract terms on numerous occasions already.
