The Pittsburgh Steelers have a rich history, and a part of that history isn’t just the success of the organization, but the players. Of course, the players have been stalwarts on the gridiron donning the black-and-gold, but many have gone on to have successful coaching careers when their playing days were done.

There are also some players who have quite the sordid history as a coach, and Hines Ward would fall into that category.

Following his retirement, Ward joined NBC on the television side of the industry, but got his feet wet as a coaching intern, working with the wide receivers, in 2017. In 2019, he joined the New York Jets as an offensive assistant, and he stayed there before leaving to join Florida Atlantic as a special assistant to the head coach.

In June 2021, Ward was announced as one of the eight XFL Head Coaches. He was announced as Head Coach of the San Antonio Brahmas in July 2022 when Team Locations were revealed. On December 28, 2023, Ward resigned from the Brahmas after finishing with a 3-7 record in 2023, in response to a change in contract structure.

He didn’t coach in 2023, and many thought he would re-join the Steelers when they were looking to add a wide receivers coach this offseason. That didn’t happen, and it is now being reported Ward has agreed to be the Arizona State wide receivers coach in 2024.

Sources: Hines Ward has agreed to become Arizona State’s next wide receivers coach. He’s a former wide receivers coach at FAU and has been an offensive assistant for the Jets and a head coach in the XFL. pic.twitter.com/SAc1x4PER6

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 13, 2024

For those who remember, there was a reported beef between Ward and Antonio Brown when he was helping with the wide receivers in 2017. According to those rumors, Ward didn’t like how Brown was getting special/preferential treatment, and made his opinion known to the organization. Either way, you also have to wonder if Ward’s style and or ability might be in question after so many stops in his coaching tenure. After all, not all great players become great coaches.

Be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the 2024 NFL Draft at the end of the month.