Clemson and head coach Dabo Swinney made waves last year when they added a familiar face to their support staff — former South Carolina defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward.
Now, Ward is preparing for a true homecoming.
When Clemson steps onto the field at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday, few people on the Tigers’ roster or coaching staff will know the venue — or the city of Columbia — more intimately than Ward, who’s in his second season serving as a special assistant.
Ward spent six years under Steve Spurrier at South Carolina from 2009-15, working as either co-defensive coordinator or defensive coordinator. He was part of USC’s golden era, a run from 2011-14 in which the Gamecocks won 11 games three straight years and never finished outside the top 10 of the final AP poll.
But in his newest role as a “special assistant” to Swinney, Ward now finds himself aligned with the rival he once game-planned against.
“It’ll be the first time I’ll have been back at Williams-Brice on the opposite sideline,” said Ward, who left USC in 2015 after Spurrier’s sudden resignation.
From Gamecocks, to Chattanooga, to Clemson
Ward spoke with The State in July about his USC tenure and his transition to Clemson.
After serving as defensive coordinator at FCS Chattanooga since 2019, Ward said he was perfectly happy closing out his career there. Chattanooga, after all, was the first program to give him a coaching opportunity.
But after a few conversations with Swinney — whom he has known since 1988, dating back to their playing and graduate assistant days together at Alabama — and a timely vacancy on Clemson’s support staff, Ward decided to make the move.
He officially joined Clemson in May 2024 as a special assistant to the head coach, replacing longtime special teams assistant Bill Spiers, who retired.
“I know Dabo, and I know what kind of man he is,” Ward said. “But you don’t really know and understand how this program operates unless you’re on the inside.”
Ward earns an annual salary of $185,000 in the off-field role, which includes responsibilities across offense, defense, and special teams preparation. He called his Clemson experience “awesome.”
Inside the building, Swinney and others call him “Whammy,” a nickname from his Alabama playing days tied to his hard hits on special teams — and the ‘80s game show “Press Your Luck.”
“We’ve been friends for a long, long time — just haven’t had an opportunity to work together since Alabama,” Swinney said last week. “But he was at a point in his career where he was ready for the role that he’s in. … He’s been a great addition and a great asset to our staff, and to me.”
Ward Still Has Affection for USC
Ward’s role looks different from his South Carolina days, when he led some of the most successful defenses in program history. Spurrier’s 2011-13 teams remain three of the only four teams in USC’s 132-year history to reach 10 or more wins.
He coached standout defenders including eight first-team All-SEC honorees, six All-Americans, and 12 NFL Draft picks — names like Melvin Ingram, Stephon Gilmore, and Jadeveon Clowney.
Many fans remember Ward for declaring that USC’s 2014 defense — its first without Clowney — “had a chance to be better” than prior years. That season began in disaster.
A preseason No. 9 South Carolina was crushed 52-28 at home by No. 21 Texas A&M, surrendering 511 passing yards, 680 total yards, and 39 first downs. Spurrier delivered one of his most memorable jabs afterward:
“Did anybody like that 3-4 defense?” he quipped.
Ward departed USC the following year, the same season Spurrier stepped down. He later coached at Fresno State and Louisville — serving as interim head coach for two games — before returning to Chattanooga in 2019.
He also briefly overlapped with current USC head coach Shane Beamer, then Spurrier’s special teams and recruiting coordinator.
“Working for Coach Spurrier and being a defensive guy, he never bothered you because he’s an offensive guy,” Ward said with a laugh. “Columbia was great. It was a great stretch. And I’ll always have love for Columbia, because it was very instrumental in my life.”
But now, Ward says he’s fully committed to Clemson.
He’ll be on “the other side” this weekend, doing everything he can to help the Tigers avenge last year’s home loss to South Carolina. Clemson enters the matchup at 6-5, while South Carolina sits at 4-7. Oddsmakers list USC as a 2.5-point favorite.
“I hope they win every game they play except the last one,” Ward joked about the Gamecocks.
2025 Clemson vs. South Carolina
Who: Clemson (6-5) at South Carolina (4-7)
When: Noon Saturday
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia
TV: SEC Network
Line: South Carolina by 2.5 points.
