Army wrestling coach Kevin Ward steps down, named assistant coach at Oklahoma State

Army wrestling head coach Kevin Ward stepped down from his position and will become an assistant coach at Oklahoma State. The Cowboys are led by David Taylor, going into Year 2.

Ward was named the head coach at Army back in August of 2014, holding the post since. In 11 seasons, he went 59-53 in duals and coached 54 wrestlers to the NCAA Championships.

During the 2025 NCAA Tournament, Ward coached seven wrestlers to the championships, the most since 2021 and second-most in program history. Army also went 8-3 this past season.

“It’s hard to put into words my appreciation for the opportunity to come back to Oklahoma State,” Ward said in a statement. “It’s where my college wrestling and coaching careers started, and it’s a program that has given me so much over the years. The opportunity to give back to the program is something that’s really special for me and I’m thrilled to join Coach Taylor and his staff.

“Coach Taylor has energized and elevated the program, and he has a vision for Oklahoma State Wrestling that is inspiring for everyone involved. I’m looking forward to working alongside all the great coaches, athletes and supporters of Oklahoma State Wrestling. Our goal is to be the best program in college wrestling and to be a destination for the most driven and motivated wrestlers in the country. I’m excited to get to work.”

The 2023-24 campaign saw a major breakthrough for Ward and Army. The Black Knights went 6-1 in duals against EIWA competition, including an 18-17 win over rival Navy. 

Ward also led six wrestlers to the 2024 NCAA Championships and 174 pounder Ben Pasiuk found his way to the podium. He finished in 8th place to become an All-American and was just the four-time NCAA qualifier in program history.

After over a decade at the helm, Ward’s resignation might be a little surprising given his success at the institution. He’ll head back to his alma mater, working under Taylor.

“I’m excited to welcome Kevin Ward back to Oklahoma State Wrestling,” Taylor said. “Kevin was part of four NCAA team titles as a Cowboy wrestler, helped start a successful program from the ground up at Ouachita Baptist and has been a consistent force at Army for more than a decade. His return to the wrestling room here at OSU is going to help us reach our goals for the highest levels of success on and off the mat.”

Taylor and Oklahoma State recently saw the departure of assistant coach Thomas Gilman, who competed with Taylor at the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club housed at Penn State. An Iowa alum, Gilman opted to return to the NLWC after one season coaching the Cowboys.

Now, Taylor’s staff will get the addition of Ward to coach alongside Jimmy Kennedy and Tyler Caldwell. Ward was a graduate assistant in 2006-07 under John Smith following his collegiate wrestling career.

Ward wrestled at Oklahoma State and was a two-time NCAA qualifier and Academic All-American. In 2005, he captured the 157 pound Big 12 title and aided the Cowboys to four national titles from 2003-06, including two undefeated teams in 2003 and ‘05.

Ward spoke with On3 last summer ahead of what ended up being his final season at Army. He’ll now join a loaded program that just finished 3rd at the NCAA championships, had three NCAA finalists, four All-Americans and two national champs in Taylor’s first year.

That included heavyweight Wyatt Hendrickson, an Air Force transfer, who beat Minnesota’s Gable Steveson in a monumental upset. Hendrickson will wrestle again June 14 in Final X in a best-of-three series to determine the Team USA spot for the 2025 World Championships.