ELF: Helvetic Guards sign Jim Ward as Defensive Coordinator

| American Football | 02/13/2023

The Helvetic Guards of the European League of Football (ELF) have announced the signing of Jim Ward as their new Defensive Coordinator for the 2023 season.

Wards most recently plied his services in Braunschweig for the German Football League’s (GFL) New Yorker Lions. In 2022, the Lions defense proved to be one of the few bright sparks for the team, ranking third overall in the GFL for points and yards allowed. 

Prior to that, the Canyon, Texas native led the Fehervar Enthroners to their first ever Hungarian Football League championship in 2019 in his first year as Head Coach. Ward also spent two years as Head Coach in Austria’s Division 1 with the Carinthian Lions (2017–18) and another two prior to that with the Prague Black Panthers (2014–16).

Ward landed on the coaching scene with a splash in his first two years in Europe, as Head Coach of Seinäjoki in Finland’s Maple League he took the Crocodiles to the Maple Bowl in 2011 and semifinals in 2012. In 2013, Ward guided the Örebro Black Knights to the Swedish Superserien title game.

Ward has spent many years as a high school football coach in Texas while also coaching various positions at the University of Mary Hardin Baylor (NCAA, DIII) and Carson Newman College (NCAA, DII).

Daniel Mackenzie is a Press Association graduate who works in journalism and communications in the third sector. Daniel began playing football for the London Warriors and Team Great Britain and has since played across Europe.