After a stint in the XFL as the head coach of the San Antonio Brahmas, former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward will return to college, as he was hired as Arizona State’s wide receivers coach today, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Ward served as the wide receivers coach at Florida Atlantic in 2021 and was also an assistant wide receivers coach for the New York Jets from 2019-2020. He got his start in the coaching ranks as a coaching intern for the Steelers in 2017. Ward will look to help Arizona State as they transition from the Pac 12 to the Big 12.
Reportedly, there wasn’t much interest in bringing Ward to Pittsburgh to fill their wide receivers coach vacancy, which Zach Azzanni eventually filled. Former Patriots WR Troy Brown was also interviewed for the Arizona State job, but it eventually went to Ward.
Ward was also under consideration for the head coach position at Texas Southern but didn’t end up getting it.
ASU has struggled as a football program over the past few seasons, going 3-9 over each of the last two years. Former Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham took over in 2023, and with Ward aboard and a move to the Big 12, maybe Arizona State can find some magic and improve off their lackluster past few years. At Arizona State, he’ll replace Ra’Shaad Samples, who left to take a job as running backs coach at Oregon.
Ward was one of the best receivers in the league during his 14 years in the NFL and mentored many young receivers in Pittsburgh during his tenure with the team. Coupled with his coaching experience, especially his work as a head coach in the XFL, Ward could be a nice hire for Arizona State as they look to return to national relevancy. It’s certainly a much better opportunity for Ward to coach in the Big 12 than it was when he was coaching Florida Atlantic in Conference USA, and it could also help raise his coaching profile and lead to more opportunities down the line.
It’ll be exciting to see where Ward’s career goes from here and whether or not he can help turn around what’s been a mediocre Arizona State program.
