Gettysburg College Athletics

A former soccer standout at Lynchburg College, Zach Ward enters his fourth year as an assistant men's soccer coach at Gettysburg College in 2017.

Last season, the Bullets posted a 9-4-3 record and were undefeated at home (5-0-3) for the first time since 1999. The team also went 4-3-2 in the Centennial Conference, marking the team’s best league record in six years, and was in contention for a conference playoff berth through the final game of the season. Ward helped coach Gettysburg to six All-Centennial Conference selections, the most in program history since 2002. In addition, two Bullets landed all-region status, marking the first time since 2007 that Gettysburg had multiple all-region honorees.
 
In 2015, the Bullets jumped out to a 7-0-1 start and reached 19th in the national rankings. The team closed out the year with a 10-5-1 record, marking the program’s first double-figure win total in eight seasons.
 
In his first season with the Bullets in 2014, Ward helped direct the Orange and Blue to six more wins than their total from one year earlier, tying the best single-season turnaround in program history. Gettysburg finished the year 9-7-1 and was ranked as high as fourth in the region earlier in the year, marking its top ranking in seven years.
 
Ward was a key element in an outstanding four-year run by Lynchburg on the soccer pitch from 2007 to 2010. A three-year starter on defense, he helped the Hornets capture a pair of Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) titles (2009, 2010) and make two appearances in the NCAA Division III Championship, including a run to the title game in 2010.
 
Ward helped Lynchburg post a record of 61-15-10 during his tenure, culminating in a 20-5-1 season in 2010. That campaign ended with the Hornets knocking off four nationally-ranked squads, including the top two programs in the nation, before an overtime loss in the national title game. Ward was named All-ODAC First Team, All-South Atlantic Region Third Team, and All-State Second Team during his final season.
 
After graduating from Lynchburg with a degree in sports management, Ward remained at his alma mater as an assistant coach for three seasons. He also served as the assistant head coach at E.C. Glass High School for three years and led the team to its first state final in 2013.