coaches HEAD COACH PAT WARD ’93 SEASONS COACHING AT ST. JOHN’S: 22
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oach Ward took over the Cadet football program in January 2020. During his inaugural season (spring 2021 due to Covid), the Cadets amassed a 3-2 record. Ward has provided coaching support for the Cadets over the past 22 years and has served as assistant director of athletics for the past eight years. A 1993 graduate of St. John’s, Ward is a member of St. John’s Athletic Hall of Fame. He comes from a long line of St. John’s graduates, including his grandfather, Robert Cady ’37; uncle, Mike Cady ’69; cousins, Frank Cady ’42 and Ralph Hawkins ’53; and brother Mike Ward ’06, who also coaches for the SJC football program. As a student, Ward anchored a Cadet football team that advanced to the championship game, and was a two-time All-American, two-time All-Met, and two-time All-League player. He was presented with the St. John’s Mush Dubofsky Award, recognizing the player who made the biggest contribution to the football team. Ward went on to enjoy a stellar career at the University of Maryland as a four-year starter, spending one year as a defensive tackle and three years as an offensive guard. The Terps recognized Ward with the prestigious A.V. Williams Award, presented to the football player who demonstrates outstanding sportsmanship. Ward began coaching for St. John’s in 2000 with tremendous success. He’s coached 24 first team all-league linemen, 11 first or second team All-Met linemen, six All-Americans, three NFL players, and was selected as an assistant coach for the 2013 Under Armour All-American Game. In 2012, he established the Ward Line Academy, through which he works with linemen in grades six and higher in a one-on-one setting. Coach Ward looks forward to building on the positive momentum in his first full season as head coach.
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR/ ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH MIKE WARD ’06 SEASONS COACHING AT ST. JOHN’S: 10
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rior to joining the St. John’s staff in 2012, Coach Ward started every game (48 total) for all four years at the University of Akron as a guard and a center. He was named team captain his senior year and went on to play for both the Orlando Predators and the Cleveland Gladiators of the Arena Football League. A two-time first team AllConference lineman at St. John’s, Coach Ward received the MushDubofsky Award as a senior, was named the Old Spice Red Zone Player of the Year for DC, was
selected as a 2006 All-Met player by The Washington Post, and was chosen as team captain. A two-way player, he achieved the remarkable feat of leading the team in tackles from his defensive line position. During Coach Ward’s six years as the varsity defensive line coach from 2013 to 2019, he coached six first team All-Met defensive lineman (Eric Assoua ’15, Terrell Lewis ’16-Los Angeles Rams, Tyree Johnson ’17, Cam Goode ’18, Tremon Morris-Brash ’19, and Mekhail Sherman ’20). Coach Ward has also worked with 14 Division 1 BCS players (Assoua, Lewis, Johnson, Goode, Cam Spence ’17, Kofi Wardlow ’17, Caleb Okechuckwu ’18, Morris-Brash, Sherman, Greg Hudgins ’20, Tre Williams ’20, Taizse Johnson ’21, and Kenjuan Manuel ’21). In his first year as defensive coordinator, during the 2021 spring Covid season, Ward’s defense gave up 65 total points in a five-game span, or an average of 13 PPG. Coach Ward expects this defense to build upon last year’s success with the return of nine of 11 starters.
ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH TERRENCE BYRD SEASONS COACHING AT ST. JOHN’S: 2
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oach Byrd has more than 20 years of coaching experience, primarily at the youth and high school level. He is also president of the Maryland Heat, a nationally recognized youth organization. His grassroots foundation has produced some of the top football student–athlete prospects in the country over the last decade, including some of St. John’s most recognized Cadets. Coach Byrd spent 20 years with United Health Care, where he was a senior project manager specializing in transition and process change management, earning several sigma certifications. Byrd values family and is the father of five children (Tyler, Tyreik, Madisyn, Morgyn, and Trentyn), who are his pride and joy. Coach Byrd’s connection with and development of players at the grassroots level has been unmatched to include many league and national titles. A few of Coach Byrd’s most distinguished strengths are mentorship, team building, and his ability to build a family atmosphere founded on discipline, hard work, and determination.
ST. JOHN’S FOOTBALL 2021
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