Today Coach Steve Spurrier named Lorenzo Ward as the Defensive Coordinator and firmly planted him as the coach in charge of the Gamecocks defense going forward. Ward is replacing recently departed Ellis Johnson, who left for the head coaching job at Southern Mississippi.
This is sort of a surprise as many coaches were rumored but with Spurrier nothing really goes as you would try to predict. He does what he feels is right for the program and this is who he wants as the coach of the defense.
Ward held the title of defensive coordinator since being hired in January of 2009 but he answered to Ellis Johnson, who was afforded the title of Assistant Head Coach for Defense.
No word yet on compensation or if the title will change that he currently has but one thing is for sure and that is Ward is now in charge of the defense.
Coach Ward has big shoes to fill after the foundation of success laid by Coach Johnson but he has all the tools in place to be successful. Coach Ward is walking into a very good situation given the talent USC has coming back in 2012. Ward is also a great recruiter so that bolds well for USC in the future and he knows the South Carolina program. The players trust him and like him so that is also a plus.
Is it a smart move by Coach Spurrier? Only time will tell….
What the fans want is to continue the momentum of success. Do that and the hire of Ward will be viewed as a great choice to lead the defense.
Here is the official bio of Coach Ward per USC:
Lorenzo Ward is in his third season with the Gamecocks. Ward was named defensive coordinator at South Carolina on January 12, 2009. He will focus on the Gamecock cornerbacks this season after being responsible for both the cornerback and free safeties in each of the prior two campaigns.
Ward has helped lead a Gamecock defense that scored six defensive touchdowns during the 2010 season, a school record, with two scored by his secondary (Stephon Gilmore, D.J. Swearinger). Gilmore was cited as an All-SEC selection during his sophomore campaign.
In his first season at Carolina, Ward’s unit helped the Gamecocks rank eighth in the nation in pass defense. In addition, the Gamecocks finished in the upper half in the SEC in scoring defense, rushing defense and total defense. Individually, Gilmore earned first-team Freshman All-America accolades.
Ward came to South Carolina after spending one season as the secondary coach on Bobby Petrino’s staff at Arkansas. Prior to that, he was on Art Shell’s staff with the NFL’s Oakland Raiders in 2006.
A former player at Alabama, Ward coached the secondary under Frank Beamer at Virginia Tech for seven seasons from 1999-2005, with five of his players earning All-Big East honors and one making the All-Atlantic Coast Conference squad. Virginia Tech led the nation in total defense, was third in pass defense and second in pass efficiency defense in 2005. The 2004 Hokie defense ranked fourth in the nation in both pass defense and interceptions. In 2002, the Hokies led the nation with 24 interceptions. The 2001 defense was No. 2 in the nation in total defense while the 2000 unit was No. 3 in interceptions. The 1999 defense was No. 3 in total defense and No. 7 in pass efficiency defense.
From 1994-99, Ward was an assistant at Tennessee-Chattanooga, including a two-year stint (1998-99) as defensive coordinator and defensive backfield coach. He coached the defensive backs from 1994-96 and the running backs in 1997. He also coached kickoff coverage and the punt team.
Ward played at Alabama from 1986-89, helping the Crimson Tide go 33-15 with an SEC title in 1989. The Sporting News named him Special Teams Player of the Year following his senior season as Alabama’s unit was ranked No. 1 in the nation. Ward and Alabama played in the 1986 Sun Bowl, 1988 Hall of Fame Bowl, 1988 Sun Bowl and 1990 Sugar Bowl.
He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant under the tutelage of Ellis Johnson at Alabama in 1991, working with the defensive backs, before going to Newnan (Ga.) High School as an assistant in 1992, where he also coached the track team. He returned to Alabama as a graduate assistant in the fall of 1993, working with the outside linebackers, before going to Chattanooga.
Ward earned his bachelor’s in physical education from Alabama in 1991.
Ward, 44, is married to the former Tara Tubbs. The couple has one son, Lorenzo Donovan Ward Jr.
