Hines Ward is going back to college.

The former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver has left the NFL coaching ranks to join Florida Atlantic in an on-field coaching role.

Florida Atlantic second-year coach Willie Taggart is set to hire Ward to work with wide receivers coach Joey Thomas. The story was first reported by fauowlsnest.com. Ward spent the past two seasons as a full-time offensive assistant with the New York Jets.

Ward spent the 2017 training camp as an offensive intern with the Steelers and worked with the team’s wide receivers. He was interested in the coaching the position full-time, but the Steelers instead hired the late Darryl Drake in 2018. Ike Hilliard was hired as wide receivers coach in 2020 after the Steelers used an interim coach for the 2019 season following Drake’s passing.

Ward has a connection to Florida Atlantic. The program’s director of player personnel, David Kelly, was the running backs coach at Georgia in the 1994-95 seasons. Ward played at Georgia from 1994-98.

Ward owns the Steelers record for career receptions (1,000), receiving yards (12,083) and receiving touchdowns (85).

Ward’s accomplishments have landed him among the Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalists. However, he has failed to make the list of finalists for five years in a row.

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