Xavier Athletics Announces Dean Ward as Women’s Soccer Head Coach
12.20.23 | Women's Soccer
Ward comes to Xavier after leading Lenoir-Rhyne to back-to-back SAC titles, NCAA appearances and SAC coach of the year awards
CINCINNATI - Xavier Athletics announced Dean Ward as the ninth coach of Xavier women's soccer on Wednesday afternoon. Ward comes to Xavier from Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, N.C., where he led the Bears to 29 wins, two league titles, one conference tournament title and a pair of NCAA DII Women's Soccer Championship appearances in two seasons as head coach.
"I am honored to join the Xavier athletics family and humbled by the opportunity to lead the women's soccer program," said Ward. "I arrive with endless humility and understanding of the fantastic platform the program can continue to build off and look forward to continuing a culture of excellence here at Xavier. I would like to thank Greg Christopher, Brian Hicks and the entire search committee for entrusting me with this opportunity - I can't wait to start this new adventure with the Musketeers."
After taking over the program in 2022, Ward led Lenoir-Rhyne to a 29-5-8 (.786) overall record, with a 3-1-1 (.700) record in NCAA play, wrapping up the 2023 season with an Elite Eight appearance and the No. 8 ranking in the United Soccer Coaches (USC) Top-25.
During his time coaching the Bears, Ward coached 16 all-conference selections, nine all-region selections, and two USC All-Americans. His roster also featured two-time SAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Louise Berg, and Elin Hansson, the 2023 D2CCA Southeast Player of the Year.
"We are excited to welcome Dean to the Xavier community," said Greg Christopher, Xavier University Vice President for Institutional Strategy and Director of Athletics. "Dean's distinctive experiences and career path helped him stand out among an impressive group of candidates. Xavier's women's soccer team has grown to become a Top 25 program that competes annually for BIG EAST titles and NCAA Tournament bids. We are confident Dean will continue building on our program's winning trajectory."
The Bears posted a 17-1-5 record in 2023, winning a second-straight South Atlantic Conference Regular Season Title as well as the league's tournament title to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA DII Women's Soccer Championship for the first time in program history.
LR went 13-0-3 in the regular season, including an 11-0 mark in SAC play, and won the league's tournament to enter the NCAA Tournament with an unbeaten record at 15-0-4. The Bears won the Regional Championship, advancing to the Elite Eight.
The 2023 Bears had nine earn all-conference honors, including two-time SAC Offensive Player of the Year, Elin Hansson, and Defensive Player of the Year, Ria Acton. Following the season, five earned All-Region honors with Hansson and Acton both earned D2CCA First Team All-America honors as well.
Ward and his staff also earned SAC Coaching Staff of the Year and USC Southeast Region Staff of the Year following the 2023 season.
Ward took over the head coaching job at Lenoir-Rhyne in 2022, leading the Bears to a SAC Conference title and NCAA Championship appearance in his first season at the helm. The 2022 Bears finished at 12-4-3 overall, including a 9-0-2 conference record, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
In his first season at LR, Ward coached seven All-SAC selections, including SAC Freshman and Offensive Player of the Year, Elin Hansson. Four Bears earned USC All-Region honors following the season. Ward was also named the SAC Coach of the Year in 2022.
Prior to taking over at Lenoir-Rhyne, Ward was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at University of Dayton from 2017-2022. Ward helped the Flyers earn Atlantic-10 Tournament berths every season he was with the Flyers, with 15 earning All A-10 Conference honors during his time at UD. Among those were A-10 Offensive Player of the Year Alexis Kiehl and Itala Gemelli, who earned A-10 Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year honors during her career.
Ward has also previously served on staff at the University of Tennessee under head coach Brian Pensky, helping the Volunteers to a 50-36-16 record, including three 10+ win seasons, in five seasons.
Ward also had a stint at Loyola Marymount University for the 2011 season and enjoyed success at Marymount College (NAIA) as the head coach, leading the Mariners to The Peace Cup Championship in his first season. He served as an assistant coach for both the men's program and the women's program for two years before taking over as the head coach for the women's program in 2010.
He has also previously worked in youth soccer, as a Director of Player Development for Manhattan Beach Sand & Surf Soccer Club in Los Angeles, Calif., and as coach of FC Alliance ECNL teams based in Knoxville, Tenn. Ward served as an assistant coach in 2015 with the USYS Region III ODP team and has served as a regional assistant coach for Region III since 2014.
Ward, originally from Birmingham, England, earned a bachelor's degree in sport science with coaching and exercise science from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2006. He holds an NSCAA Premier coaching diploma and NSCAA National Goalkeeping Diploma.
BRIAN HICKS - XAVIER SENIOR ASSOCIATE AD FOR EXTERNAL RELATIONS
"Dean stood out among those interested to lead our program. His head coaching experience elevating a successful program coupled with more than a decade as an assistant under respected managers makes him an outstanding fit. Off the pitch, his reputation for strengthening culture and supporting student-athletes matches our program's standards for excellence. We're excited to welcome Dean and his wife Jeri to the Xavier University community."
BRIAN PENSKY - FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S SOCCER HEAD COACH
"Dean is the complete package. He has an eye for talent. He knows the game incredibly well, and can coach it at a high level. Dean's emotional intelligence ranks up there with the best of them. Looking forward to watching Dean carry on the successful Xavier soccer tradition."
JOE KIRT - UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE WOMEN'S SOCCER HEAD COACH
"Dean is a tremendous coach and person. His passion for the game, investment in his player's individual development and overall commitment to winning are to be commended. Dean's consistent, intentional approach has led his teams to the top of the table and wish him continued success at Xavier."
ERIC GOLZ - UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON WOMEN'S SOCCER HEAD COACH
"Dean Ward is a fantastic selection to be next Head Coach at Xavier University. He is both a first-class person and coach. Dean will be relentless in his work to create a positive and developmental environment for his student-athletes, he has a keen eye for talent in recruiting, and he is a savvy tactician of the game. He is a winner, and I am excited to see what he does with the program at Xavier!"
JOE MALLIA - LOYOLA MARYLAND UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S SOCCER HEAD COACH
"I am extremely excited for Dean and this opportunity. He is one of the hardest working coaches I've been around in my 30 years of coaching. I am confident Dean will bring that same work ethic to Xavier and continue to build on the tremendous success that Nate has had. Additionally, Dean will foster strong relationships with his players in an effort to provide a great overall experience for his players."
"I am honored to join the Xavier athletics family and humbled by the opportunity to lead the women's soccer program," said Ward. "I arrive with endless humility and understanding of the fantastic platform the program can continue to build off and look forward to continuing a culture of excellence here at Xavier. I would like to thank Greg Christopher, Brian Hicks and the entire search committee for entrusting me with this opportunity - I can't wait to start this new adventure with the Musketeers."
After taking over the program in 2022, Ward led Lenoir-Rhyne to a 29-5-8 (.786) overall record, with a 3-1-1 (.700) record in NCAA play, wrapping up the 2023 season with an Elite Eight appearance and the No. 8 ranking in the United Soccer Coaches (USC) Top-25.
During his time coaching the Bears, Ward coached 16 all-conference selections, nine all-region selections, and two USC All-Americans. His roster also featured two-time SAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Louise Berg, and Elin Hansson, the 2023 D2CCA Southeast Player of the Year.
"We are excited to welcome Dean to the Xavier community," said Greg Christopher, Xavier University Vice President for Institutional Strategy and Director of Athletics. "Dean's distinctive experiences and career path helped him stand out among an impressive group of candidates. Xavier's women's soccer team has grown to become a Top 25 program that competes annually for BIG EAST titles and NCAA Tournament bids. We are confident Dean will continue building on our program's winning trajectory."
The Bears posted a 17-1-5 record in 2023, winning a second-straight South Atlantic Conference Regular Season Title as well as the league's tournament title to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA DII Women's Soccer Championship for the first time in program history.
LR went 13-0-3 in the regular season, including an 11-0 mark in SAC play, and won the league's tournament to enter the NCAA Tournament with an unbeaten record at 15-0-4. The Bears won the Regional Championship, advancing to the Elite Eight.
The 2023 Bears had nine earn all-conference honors, including two-time SAC Offensive Player of the Year, Elin Hansson, and Defensive Player of the Year, Ria Acton. Following the season, five earned All-Region honors with Hansson and Acton both earned D2CCA First Team All-America honors as well.
Ward and his staff also earned SAC Coaching Staff of the Year and USC Southeast Region Staff of the Year following the 2023 season.
Ward took over the head coaching job at Lenoir-Rhyne in 2022, leading the Bears to a SAC Conference title and NCAA Championship appearance in his first season at the helm. The 2022 Bears finished at 12-4-3 overall, including a 9-0-2 conference record, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
In his first season at LR, Ward coached seven All-SAC selections, including SAC Freshman and Offensive Player of the Year, Elin Hansson. Four Bears earned USC All-Region honors following the season. Ward was also named the SAC Coach of the Year in 2022.
Prior to taking over at Lenoir-Rhyne, Ward was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at University of Dayton from 2017-2022. Ward helped the Flyers earn Atlantic-10 Tournament berths every season he was with the Flyers, with 15 earning All A-10 Conference honors during his time at UD. Among those were A-10 Offensive Player of the Year Alexis Kiehl and Itala Gemelli, who earned A-10 Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year honors during her career.
Ward has also previously served on staff at the University of Tennessee under head coach Brian Pensky, helping the Volunteers to a 50-36-16 record, including three 10+ win seasons, in five seasons.
Ward also had a stint at Loyola Marymount University for the 2011 season and enjoyed success at Marymount College (NAIA) as the head coach, leading the Mariners to The Peace Cup Championship in his first season. He served as an assistant coach for both the men's program and the women's program for two years before taking over as the head coach for the women's program in 2010.
He has also previously worked in youth soccer, as a Director of Player Development for Manhattan Beach Sand & Surf Soccer Club in Los Angeles, Calif., and as coach of FC Alliance ECNL teams based in Knoxville, Tenn. Ward served as an assistant coach in 2015 with the USYS Region III ODP team and has served as a regional assistant coach for Region III since 2014.
Ward, originally from Birmingham, England, earned a bachelor's degree in sport science with coaching and exercise science from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2006. He holds an NSCAA Premier coaching diploma and NSCAA National Goalkeeping Diploma.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
BRIAN HICKS - XAVIER SENIOR ASSOCIATE AD FOR EXTERNAL RELATIONS
"Dean stood out among those interested to lead our program. His head coaching experience elevating a successful program coupled with more than a decade as an assistant under respected managers makes him an outstanding fit. Off the pitch, his reputation for strengthening culture and supporting student-athletes matches our program's standards for excellence. We're excited to welcome Dean and his wife Jeri to the Xavier University community."
BRIAN PENSKY - FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S SOCCER HEAD COACH
"Dean is the complete package. He has an eye for talent. He knows the game incredibly well, and can coach it at a high level. Dean's emotional intelligence ranks up there with the best of them. Looking forward to watching Dean carry on the successful Xavier soccer tradition."
JOE KIRT - UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE WOMEN'S SOCCER HEAD COACH
"Dean is a tremendous coach and person. His passion for the game, investment in his player's individual development and overall commitment to winning are to be commended. Dean's consistent, intentional approach has led his teams to the top of the table and wish him continued success at Xavier."
ERIC GOLZ - UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON WOMEN'S SOCCER HEAD COACH
"Dean Ward is a fantastic selection to be next Head Coach at Xavier University. He is both a first-class person and coach. Dean will be relentless in his work to create a positive and developmental environment for his student-athletes, he has a keen eye for talent in recruiting, and he is a savvy tactician of the game. He is a winner, and I am excited to see what he does with the program at Xavier!"
JOE MALLIA - LOYOLA MARYLAND UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S SOCCER HEAD COACH
"I am extremely excited for Dean and this opportunity. He is one of the hardest working coaches I've been around in my 30 years of coaching. I am confident Dean will bring that same work ethic to Xavier and continue to build on the tremendous success that Nate has had. Additionally, Dean will foster strong relationships with his players in an effort to provide a great overall experience for his players."