View source for Dallas Ward

{{Short description|American football player and coach}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Dallas Ward
| image = Dallas Ward - Colorado.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = Ward as head coach at Colorado
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1906|8|11}}
| birth_place = [[Lexington, Oregon]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1983|2|15|1906|8|11}}
| death_place = [[Boulder, Colorado]], U.S.
| alma_mater = 
| player_years1 = 1924–1926
| player_team1 = [[Oregon State Beavers football|Oregon State]]
| player_positions = [[End (gridiron football)|End]]
| coach_years1 = 1936–1941
| coach_team1 = [[Minnesota Golden Gophers football|Minnesota]] (assistant)
| coach_years2 = 1942
| coach_team2 = [[Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football|Iowa Pre-Flight]] (assistant)
| coach_years3 = 1945–1947
| coach_team3 = Minnesota (backfield)
| coach_years4 = 1948–1958
| coach_team4 = [[Colorado Buffaloes football|Colorado]]
| coach_years5 = 1962
| coach_team5 = Colorado (defense)
| overall_record = 63–41–6
| bowl_record = 1–0
| tournament_record = 
| championships = 
| awards = 
[[Big Eight Conference football#Coach of the Year|Big Eight Coach of the Year]] (1956)
| coaching_records = 
| module =
{{Infobox military person|embed=yes
|allegiance   = {{USA}}
|branch       = {{flag|United States Navy}}
|rank         = [[File:US-O5 insignia.svg|15px]] [[Commander (United States)|Commander]]
|battles      = [[World War II]]
|unit         = Training 
|serviceyears = <!-- 1942–1945 -->
|awards       = 
}}}}

'''Dallas Carl Ward''' (August 11, 1906 – February 15, 1983) was an [[American football]], [[basketball]], and [[baseball]] player and coach.  He was the head football coach at the [[Colorado Buffaloes football|University of Colorado]] in [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]] from [[1948 Colorado Buffaloes football team|1948]] to [[1958 Colorado Buffaloes football team|1958]], compiling a career record of {{nowrap|63–41–6}} in {{nowrap|eleven seasons.<ref name=cfhgc>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SQAzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6OIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3588%2C3363108 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=UPI |title=Colorado fires head grid coach |date=January 23, 1959 |page=3B}}</ref><ref name=wfbcis>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lVspAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HucDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6422%2C2698846 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Ward fired by Colorado in surprise |date=January 24, 1959 |page=8}}</ref>}} Over the course of the [[1953 Colorado Buffaloes football team|1953]] and [[1954 Colorado Buffaloes football team|1954]] seasons, Ward's [[Colorado Buffaloes football|Buffaloes]] won nine consecutive games.

Ward grew up in northeastern [[Oregon]] on a ranch near [[Lexington, Oregon|Lexington]] and played [[college football]] at [[Oregon State Beavers football|Oregon Agricultural College]] in [[Corvallis, Oregon|Corvallis]] in the 1920s, where he started every game of his collegiate career.

Ward held membership in five honorary societies, including [[Phi Kappa Phi]], and was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1985.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.coloradosports.org/themuseum.cfm |title=History |access-date=February 15, 2007 |publisher=Colorado Sports Hall of Fame |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070301155121/http://www.coloradosports.org/themuseum.cfm |archive-date=March 1, 2007 }}</ref> The CU athletic administration center, located at the north end of [[Folsom Field]], was named after him.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.colorado.edu/masterplan/plan/plan.cgi?3%264%26%261 |title=The Plan |access-date=September 23, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071101044313/http://www.colorado.edu/masterplan/plan/plan.cgi?3&4&&1 |archive-date=November 1, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.colorado.edu/campusmap/map.html?bldg=DALW|title = Campus Map &#124; University of Colorado Boulder}}</ref> As of 2007, Ward is one of only three multi-sport inductees in the hall of fame at Oregon State, where he was inducted in 1997.<ref name="OSUHOF">{{cite web | url=http://www.osubeavers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4700&KEY=&ATCLID=188614 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120004509/http://www.osubeavers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4700&KEY=&ATCLID=188614 | url-status=dead | archive-date=November 20, 2015 | title=Oregon State University Sports Hall of Fame | date=September 14, 2005 | access-date=February 15, 2007 | publisher=Oregon State University}}</ref> He earned eight varsity letters: three for football and twice each for [[baseball]] and [[basketball]], and was a captain in all three sports.<ref name="OSUHOF" />

==Coaching career==
After graduation from Oregon State, Ward taught in [[Minneapolis]] and became head coach at Marshall High in 1928, helped with a letter of recommendation written by [[Knute Rockne]].<ref name="OSUHOF" /> In 1936, he joined the staff at the [[Minnesota Golden Gophers football|University of Minnesota]] as an assistant coach. During [[World War II]], Ward served as officer-in-charge of physical and military training at the [[Grand Prairie Armed Forces Reserve Complex|U.S. Naval Air Station]] in [[Dallas]], [[Texas]]. After the war, he returned to Minnesota as backfield coach.

Ward became the [[head coach]] at Colorado in 1948, succeeding [[James J. Yeager]]. In his first two seasons, his teams won three games each for a 6–13 record, but those were his only losing seasons.  Following the [[1956 Colorado Buffaloes football team|1956]] regular season, his team won the [[1957 Orange Bowl|Orange Bowl]], Colorado's second (1938 Cotton Bowl being their first)  [[bowl game]], over [[1956 Clemson Tigers football team|Clemson]], {{nowrap|27–21.}} After winning the season-ending bowl game, Ward was offered the head coaching positions at [[1957 USC Trojans football team|USC]] and [[1957 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team|Minnesota]], but declined those offers, believing the next few years with the Buffaloes would be even better.<ref name="OSUbio">{{cite web | url=http://alumni.oregonstate.edu/eclips/history/may25_2001.html | title=OSU Sports History Minute | publisher=Oregon State University Alumni Association | date=May 21, 2005 | access-date=February 15, 2007 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070405100039/http://alumni.oregonstate.edu/eclips/history/may25_2001.html | archive-date=April 5, 2007 }}</ref>

However, they did not turn out as hoped, and, on January 23, 1959,<ref name=cfhgc/><ref name=wfbcis/> Ward was asked to resign by the [[Regents of the University of Colorado|university regents]] but refused.<ref name="OSUbio" /> The regents reconsidered their actions, but amid many letters of protest mailed in, the original decision was kept and Ward was fired.<ref name="OSUbio" /> Although no official reason was stated, it was widely believed Ward was relieved because of his inability to defeat [[Oklahoma Sooners football|Oklahoma]]; his career record against the Sooners {{nowrap|was 0–8–1,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/big12/colorado/opponents_records.php?teamid%3D2384 |title=Colorado Game by Game against Opponents |access-date=September 23, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040520120906/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/big12/colorado/opponents_records.php?teamid=2384 |archive-date=May 20, 2004 }}</ref>}} with the tie in 1952 in Boulder in the season opener, earning him [[United Press International|UPI]] Coach of the Week honors.<ref name="OSUbio" /> He retired from coaching after his firing, then returned for one season in [[1962 Colorado Buffaloes football team|1962]], as a defensive coach on the staff of interim head coach [[William E. Davis|Bud Davis]].

Ward is credited with bringing the Colorado Buffaloes football program to national prominence in {{nowrap|the 1950s.<ref name="OSUbio" /><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rootsweb.com/~ormorrow/DallasWard.htm | title=Dallas Ward | author=Lucile Peck | publisher=Morrow County Historical Society | year=1991 | access-date=February 15, 2007}}</ref>}} As of 2007, Ward is ranked third at Colorado in total number of games coached, fourth in total wins, and sixth in conference wins.

==Later life and death==
Ward had earned tenure as a CU faculty member in 1956. He chose to stay at Colorado and teach.  He and his wife Jane and their five children remained in Boulder, where he died of [[cancer]] at age 76 in 1983.<ref name="OSUbio" /><ref name=djobt>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ftBeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=g-gFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2476%2C2836867 |work=Lawrence Daily Journal-World |location=(Texas) |agency=Associated Press |title=Former Colorado football coach Ward dies at 76 |date=February 16, 1983 |page=21}}</ref>

==Head coaching record==
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = both }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[Colorado Buffaloes football|Colorado Buffaloes]]
 | conf      = [[Big Eight Conference|Big Seven / Big Eight Conference]]
 | startyear = 1948
 | endyear   = 1958
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1948 college football season|1948]]
 | name         = [[1948 Colorado Buffaloes football team|Colorado]]
 | overall      = 3–6
 | conference   = 2–3
 | confstanding = 4th
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1949 college football season|1949]]
 | name         = [[1949 Colorado Buffaloes football team|Colorado]]
 | overall      = 3–7
 | conference   = 1–4
 | confstanding = 6th
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1950 college football season|1950]]
 | name         = [[1950 Colorado Buffaloes football team|Colorado]]
 | overall      = 5–4–1
 | conference   = 2–4
 | confstanding = 6th
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1951 college football season|1951]]
 | name         = [[1951 Colorado Buffaloes football team|Colorado]]
 | overall      = 7–3
 | conference   = 5–1
 | confstanding = 2nd
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1952 college football season|1952]]
 | name         = [[1952 Colorado Buffaloes football team|Colorado]]
 | overall      = 6–2–2
 | conference   = 2–2–2
 | confstanding = T–4th
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1953 college football season|1953]]
 | name         = [[1953 Colorado Buffaloes football team|Colorado]]
 | overall      = 6–4
 | conference   = 2–4
 | confstanding = T–4th
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1954 college football season|1954]]
 | name         = [[1954 Colorado Buffaloes football team|Colorado]]
 | overall      = 7–2–1
 | conference   = 3–2–1
 | confstanding = T–3rd
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1955 college football season|1955]]
 | name         = [[1955 Colorado Buffaloes football team|Colorado]]
 | overall      = 6–4
 | conference   = 3–3
 | confstanding = T–3rd
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1956 college football season|1956]]
 | name         = [[1956 Colorado Buffaloes football team|Colorado]]
 | overall      = 8–2–1
 | conference   = 4–1–1
 | confstanding = 2nd
 | bowlname     = [[1957 Orange Bowl|Orange]]
 | bowloutcome  = W
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 18
 | ranking2     = 20
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1957 college football season|1957]]
 | name         = [[1957 Colorado Buffaloes football team|Colorado]]
 | overall      = 6–3–1
 | conference   = 3–3
 | confstanding = T–3rd
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1958 college football season|1958]]
 | name         = [[1958 Colorado Buffaloes football team|Colorado]]
 | overall      = 6–4
 | conference   = 4–2
 | confstanding = 3rd
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Colorado
 | overall    = 63–41–6
 | confrecord = 31–29–4
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
 | overall  = 63–41–6
 | bowls    = no
 | poll     = two
 | polltype = 
 | legend   = no
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.coloradosports.org/index.php/who-s-in-the-hall/inductees/item/228-dallas-ward Colorado Sports Hall of Fame profile]
* {{Find a Grave}}

{{Colorado Buffaloes football coach navbox}}
{{1936 Minnesota Golden Gophers football navbox}}
{{1940 Minnesota Golden Gophers football navbox}}
{{1941 Minnesota Golden Gophers football navbox}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ward, Dallas}}
[[Category:1906 births]]
[[Category:1983 deaths]]
[[Category:American football ends]]
[[Category:Colorado Buffaloes football coaches]]
[[Category:Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football coaches]]
[[Category:Minnesota Golden Gophers football coaches]]
[[Category:Oregon State Beavers baseball players]]
[[Category:Oregon State Beavers football players]]
[[Category:Oregon State Beavers men's basketball players]]
[[Category:High school football coaches in Minnesota]]
[[Category:United States Navy personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:People from Morrow County, Oregon]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Oregon]]
[[Category:Coaches of American football from Oregon]]
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
[[Category:United States Navy officers]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Colorado]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Oregon]]
[[Category:Members of Phi Kappa Phi]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]