New Iowa Soccer Coach Brings Balanced Philosophy to First Season
PHOTOs: Stephen Mally/hawkeyesports.com
New Hawkeye women's soccer coach Dean Ward oversees a spring practice at the Iowa Soccer Complex.
One moment shaped Dean Ward’s outlook on the pitch and life.
While an assistant coach at the University of Dayton several years ago, Ward was home with his wife, Jeri, when she suffered a stroke. His then 30-year-old wife spent the next six months recovering by relearning how to walk, talk, and manage daily tasks.
“That experience changed me and the way I approach the game,” says Ward, Iowa’s first-year women’s soccer coach. “I didn’t have a lot of balance in my life, and I was spending too much time chasing wins and recruits. Balance is now essential in my life, but it’s also important for our student-athletes. They need time to rest and recover.”
Ward comes to Iowa after spending the past two seasons as head coach at Xavier University in Cincinnati. He’s striving to maintain a strong Hawkeye program that has gone 40-13-12 over the past three seasons.
An Early Love for Soccer
Ward, like many young kids in England, was drawn to soccer at an early age.
“My dad was a coach, and it became part of my life,” he says. “My brother, my dad, and I would go to Birmingham games every week—and we were around the game all the time.”
Ward played competitively until his early 20s. His first full-time coaching job was at Loyola Marymount University, and, just like his dad, he hasn’t left the sidelines since.
All About Family
Ward met his wife while working as an assistant coach at the University of Tennessee.
“We got talking at a coffee shop, and it grew from there,” says Ward. “I convinced her to move to Dayton, Ohio, in 2017, and we began the next chapter in our lives.”
The Wards have one child, Lucy, who is nearly 2 years old. When he’s not ingrained in soccer, he’s at home with his family.
“I have two things in my life—my family and my team,” says Ward, whose hobbies include watching soccer, running, and working out.
Why Iowa
Ward elevated Xavier to a top 20 program, yet he realized that the gap between mid-major programs and schools like Iowa in the Big Ten Conference is only growing.
“I wanted to compete at the highest level and consistently against NCAA Tournament-level teams—that was a draw for me,” says Ward. “Athletic director Beth Goetz was also a big factor. She’s the only AD at a Power 4 school that played and coached collegiate soccer. Soccer is important to her, and you can tell women’s sports are important here.”
Ward also fell in love with Iowa City, which made the move from Cincinnati easier.
“I hadn’t been to Iowa before stepping foot on campus, and I didn’t know what to expect,” he says. “Iowa City and the campus—it’s a pretty cool spot.”
Biggest Changes on the Pitch
Ward believes Iowa soccer is in a strong position, yet he sees room to improve on offense.
“The team has been great on the defensive side—limiting goals scored and dictating the pace of the game,” says Ward. “But they have struggled to score as many goals as they want. I’m working with the team on how we can attack more. We’re working on putting people in the right positions to succeed and giving them a bit more freedom on the attacking side.”
Despite all the changes, Ward has high expectations for 2026. “We want to win and compete for championships,” he says.