In a budding collegiate coaching career, Alex Ward already has coached on both sides of the football at the University of Central Florida (UCF).
Ward, now, is poised for a spot in the NFL.
Multiple sources tell FootballScoop that Ward is exiting Scott Frost’s UCF Knights program to join the NFL’s Houston Texans.
There, per sources, Ward will be an offensive assistant coach in DeMeco Ryans’ organization.
Ward first arrived at UCF in 2024 under then-head coach Gus Malzahn, for whom he served as a defensive graduate assistant.
After Malzahn — who earlier this week retired from coaching after spending the 2025 season as Florida State’s offensive coordinator — exited Central Florida, ex-Nebraska coach Scott Frost returned to Orlando, Florida, to again helm the Knights. Frost elevated Ward into a full-time role as an offensive quality control coach before UCF’s 2025 season.
The Knights, who experienced unprecedented success last decade under Frost before he returned to his alma mater, Nebraska, but could not turn around the Cornhuskers, finished 5-7 in Frost’s return debut. They had a chance to earn bowl eligibility in their season-finale at BYU but were blown out by the Cougars, 41-21.
In Houston, Ward is set to join a franchise that’s experienced annual success under Ryans, a former star University of Alabama linebacker, former NFL Assistant Coach of the Year in 2022 and first-time head coach when he took over the Texans prior to the 2023 season.
Houston has advanced three-straight years under Ryans into the AFC Playoffs and won a game in each of those campaigns before losing their follow-up appearance each time.
Ward will work directly under Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley in Houston. In addition to his recent work at Central Florida, Ward also has coached at Midwestern State and Troy University in varous roles.