Kenny Dillingham announced last night on his radio show that Defensive Coordinator Brian Ward has agreed to a contract extension.
The extension will include a raise and keep the former Sun Devil in Tempe until 2026. Dillingham had said in a previous press conference that he hoped to keep Ward here for as long as possible.
“He has the same passion about this place that I do.” Dillingham said, “He has the same vision for wanting to be here for the rest of his career that I do. If we could both have our wishes. We are going to build something here that lasts forever. We could be here forever.”
Brian Ward’s aggressive defensive personality was displayed last year with Washington State. So much so that Dillingham didn’t want to face him anymore, so he hired him. Ward has since turned Arizona State’s defense into one of the best in the Pac-12. He recently held Washington’s #1 ranked offense to no offensive touchdowns. He also held a top offense in Washington State to no second-half touchdowns despite them being in the red zone on many possessions.
Ward has completely turned this defense around, and extending him was a must. It just helps that he was born and raised in the Valley.
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