David Taylor Adds Former Army Head Coach, OSU Wrestler Kevin Ward to Staff

David Taylor filled a hole on his coaching staff with a head coach.

Oklahoma State announced Monday that Kevin Ward will join Taylor’s staff. A former OSU wrestler, Ward had been the head coach at Army since the 2014-15 season.

“I’m excited to welcome Kevin Ward back to Oklahoma State Wrestling,” said Taylor in OSU’s release. “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.”

Ward wrestled at OSU from 2001 to 2006, where he was a part of four national championship-winning teams. He won a Big 12 title at 157 pounds in 2005 and took silver at the conference tournament the next year.

In 11 seasons at Army, Ward accumulated a 59-53 record in duals and coached 54 wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. Seven Black Knights made nationals this past season, which was the most for the program since 2021 and the second-most all-time. Ward was named the EIWA Coach of the Year in 2019 and was a finalist for the NWCA National coach of the Year that season, as well.

Before his stint at West Point, Ward took his first head coaching job at Ouachita Baptist, where he was the first coach in the program’s history. The Tigers finished in the top 15 in each of the program’s first four seasons. He coached 10 All-Americans and two national finalists at Ouachita Baptist. Ward was named the NCAA Division II Coach of the Year in 2014 after he led the Tigers to a fourth-place finish at NCAAs, a season that saw five Tigers earn All-America honors.

Ward graduated from OSU with a bachelor’s degree in sociology in 2005 and stayed on as a graduate assistant for the 2006-07 season while finishing up his master’s in heath and human performance.

“It’s hard to put into words my appreciation for the opportunity to come back to Oklahoma State,” Ward said. “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.”