Mike Ward has spent nearly 40 years in college coaching, and along the way he’s built an unusual web of connections to Auburn’s staff without ever working for the program.
That kind of overlap is common in coaching circles. The profession is small, and relationships tend to travel with the jobs.
But Ward’s list of Auburn ties stands out. Since 1992, he has spent all but four seasons at Bowling Green or Toledo, and in that stretch he crossed paths with five members of Auburn’s staff.
He coached alongside Alex Golesh, Brad Wilson and Tim Banks. He also worked with DJ Durkin, and even earlier than that, he was an assistant during Durkin’s playing career.
During Ward’s lone run away from the MAC schools, he spent 2012 through 2015 at Illinois with Golesh and Banks. That same Illinois stint also connected him to Earnest Thomas III, Auburn’s assistant cornerbacks coach, who played there for three of Ward’s seasons.
Ward also got to know a defensive line commit, Vontrell King-Williams, in his first year with the Fighting Illini.
“I've never heard of it before,” Ward told the Montgomery Advertiser. “It is a rarity, and like I said, it's a blessing to know those guys.
I respect every single one of them because every one of them has their own story. They're all unique, and they're all outstanding guys - and, obviously, are doing a great job.”
Here’s how Ward’s Auburn connections line up:
Alex Golesh: Toledo (2009-11) and Illinois (2012-15)
Brad Wilson: Bowling Green (2007)
DJ Durkin: Bowling Green (2001-02, 2005-06)
Tim Banks: Bowling Green (1996, 1999-2000) and Illinois (2012-15)
Ward and Toledo split after the 2019 season, and he moved into the high school ranks. He’s now heading into his sixth season at Perrysburg High School, where he was nominated for the Broyles Award in 2023.
He still hasn’t made the trip to Auburn to see those former colleagues and players in person, though he hopes to do it this spring, when the coaching calendar slows down a bit. From where he sits, the people around Auburn are part of why things are working.
“Alex has had success because he's very good people,” Ward said. “He's surrounded himself with really good people.
Every single one of these guys - Earnest, Vontrell, Brad, Tim and DJ - they're all great people, and they care so much about the players. That's what Alex does, too.”
For Ward, the common thread runs deeper than just shared stops on a coaching résumé. He sees the same standard in all of them.
“It’s, 'You're only as good as the guys you're coaching,'” Ward recalled. “If they believe in you, if they trust you, they'll play their (butt) off for you, and that's what's going on down there.”
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