‘The foundation has already been set here’: New Washington State defensive coordinator Brian Ward brings familiar coaching philosophies to Pullman

PULLMAN – An overhaul on defense wasn’t necessary when Washington State went shopping for a coordinator.

The first name on the Cougars’ list belonged to someone familiar, whose coaching tenets parallel those already in place on the Palouse.

Brian Ward, WSU’s new DC, is no stranger to the program’s existing defensive principles and formations. He has a background in the same system that’s been used by the Cougars over the past two years.

But it’ll take some time to adapt to WSU’s teaching methods and talent. Ward spent his first 10 days on staff studying the Cougars’ practice procedures and personnel groupings.

He’ll continue this period of observation for the rest of the year, through WSU’s Sun Bowl finale Dec. 31 against Miami in El Paso, Texas.

“(It’s about) me being able to see exactly how (coach Jake Dickert) and the staff have installed this defense, seeing how they run things, seeing what differences there might be,” Ward said Friday during his first media availability since being hired early last week out of Nevada. “That’s my job because … I don’t have to come in and install my own defense – it’s already been installed.”

Once he’s fully accustomed to the Cougars’ defensive peculiarities, Ward will be asked to blend fresh ideas “with the foundation that’s been established.” WSU’s defense made clear strides this season, becoming a swarming unit that constantly threatened to swipe possession from its foes.

Ward doesn’t believe the Cougars need to make any major adjustments.

“Not really changing anything,” he said, “just whatever I can add. Maybe I have a different way of teaching or explaining, or adding a wrinkle here or there to hopefully make us better in the future.”

Dickert was promoted to head coach Nov. 27, and WSU moved quickly to fill its vacant DC job. Dickert said Ward was the Cougars’ top candidate for the role from the start of the short search.

The two come from the same school of thought regarding defensive strategy, and they followed similar paths in this line of work.

“They have the same standard. They have the same mentality,” Cougars linebacker Travion Brown said.

Their coaching identities stem from stints at FCS powerhouse North Dakota State, where they were co-workers in 2010 under coach Craig Bohl. WSU edge coach AJ Cooper was also on that staff.

“We come from the same family of coaches,” Ward said. “We speak the same language, in terms of our terminology and what we believe in.

“We’ve been talking football for the last 12 years, since we’ve been apart. … We’ve all stayed in contact and (run clinics) and talked football ever since 2010.”

Dickert instituted a 4-2-5 nickel set at WSU in early 2020, when he left Wyoming to oversee WSU’s defense under former coach Nick Rolovich. Ward applied that formation at past DC stops, including Nevada (2020-21) and Syracuse (2016-19).

When asked to give a rundown of what he called “our system,” Ward echoed thoughts that’d been expressed by Dickert in past interviews.

“We do a lot of different things with our defense, but it starts with us being a four-down front, being able to stop the run and affect the quarterback on all downs, all distances, all situations,” Ward said. “Being able to affect the quarterback with a four-down front while being able to play multiple coverages and being simple in terms of how we install it and how we teach it.”

That probably means Cougar fans can expect to see more of the same – blitzing exotics, for example, like WSU’s speed-oriented defensive fronts that befuddled opponents on passing downs this year.

According to Cougar players, Ward emphasizes effort above all else, just as Dickert does.

“They kinda have the same philosophy: Run to the ball and play together,” edge Brennan Jackson said recently. “Just being a workhorse and running to the ball – all the things we’d done under Dickert’s scheme. It’s going to be the same kind of deal.”

Two statistical markers signify defensive success in Ward’s eyes: points allowed per game and takeaways. This season, under Ward’s watch, Nevada’s defense collected 25 turnovers and finished the year tied for eighth nationally in that category.

The Cougars piled up 27 takeaways – tied for fourth most among FBS teams.

The Cougars and Wolf Pack allowed about 24 points per game to finish in the upper half in their respective conferences, the Pac-12 and Mountain West.

WSU and Nevada wound up in the bottom half of their conference rankings in yards surrendered per game.

But the teams combined for 15 wins this year, playing a resilient brand of defense that bends yet ultimately proves effective, even if it doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet.

“The purpose of defense isn’t total yardage,” Ward said. “We’re really about trying to complement what our offense is doing. The No. 1 focus of our defense, which really any defense should be, is points per game and takeaways.”

Like Dickert, Ward attended a small college and worked his way up the coaching ladder through a number of lower-level programs in obscure corners of the country.

The 48-year-old Glendale, Arizona, native played and coached at NAIA McPherson in rural Kansas before short stays at Glendale CC, Division III Wabash (Indiana), D-II Missouri Southern and Tulsa (Oklahoma) Union High. He was the head coach at his alma mater from 2007-09, then cracked the D-I ranks as a secondary coach at NDSU.

He coordinated defenses at FCS programs Drake and Western Illinois and climbed to the FBS level in 2015 as Bowling Green’s DC.

Ward helped guide a defensive turnaround at Syracuse, his first Power Five job after 19 years in the coaching business. Dickert sparked a defensive resurgence at WSU after 18 years at sub-FBS programs.

“I’m excited to be here, excited to be back with Jake and AJ, just excited about this opportunity to coach in the Pac,” said Ward, whose Nevada teams compiled a 15-6 record over the past two seasons. “I’m a West Coast guy. I followed the Pac growing up. Getting a chance to coordinate at this level is just an opportunity of a lifetime.”

Ward hinted that other programs had been courting him, but he chose the Cougars because of their boss.

“Ultimately, the biggest reason I’m here is because of coach Dickert – the philosophy he has in running a program and what his vision for Washington State football is going to be,” Ward said.

Dickert will also put Ward in charge of WSU’s linebackers, a position group which soon loses both its starters to graduation. The Cougars need to replace their three best safeties and their most talented cornerback, but their entire defensive line returns along with a couple of promising young linebackers and veteran DBs in nickel Armani Marsh and corner Derrick Langford Jr.

“I haven’t had a chance to evaluate or really watch them,” Ward said. “I see we have some depth and have some younger guys that definitely have ability. I’m just excited to be a part of their development.”

Ward confirmed that Cooper will stay on as WSU’s edge coach. The Cougars are still considering their options for cornerbacks coach, Ward noted, but they recently hired Pete Kaligis out of Wyoming to coach the defensive tackles, and they’ll reportedly stick with Mark Banker in charge of the safeties and nickels.

“We’re trying to keep everything consistent through the bowl game, and after the bowl game, coach Dickert will make those decisions,” Ward said.

Until then, Ward will roam the sidelines at practices, taking note of his new team’s approach to a familiar system while pondering slight adjustments to the proven formula.

“The football piece is probably the easiest piece,” he said when asked about transitioning to this job. “It’s me being able to slide in. The foundation has already been set here and the defense has already been installed. It’s just my job to get in the car and make whatever tweaks. Hopefully, I can bring some ideas.”