Hines Ward has made overtures to joining his alma mater's staff in the past, but batted his eyes pretty hard in Kirby Smart's direction Wednesday at a College Football Hall of Fame event in Atlanta.
“I’m dead serious. I want to coach at Georgia,” Ward told SEC Country. “I’ve expressed that to Kirby. I haven’t had any talk with him about what all goes into it, but I think I’ve put it out there. I’m serious. I want to give back to my alma mater.”
A native of Forest Park, Ga., Ward played wide receiver for the Bulldogs in the mid-90's -- where he no doubt butted literal heads with Georgia's current head coach, then a Dawgs safety -- then forged a 14-year NFL career in which he caught 1,000 passes for more than 12,000 yards, reaching four Pro Bowls with two Super Bowl titles and one Super Bowl MVP to his credit in what will surely be a Hall of Fame career.
His self-professed desire to join the Dawgs' staff has not stopped him from continuing his career as an NBC commentator or accepting a similar post with CNN. Still, Ward hopes Smart will make room for him at a mutually beneficial time.
“Timing is everything,” he said. “Maybe down the road there’ll be an opportunity for me to do something I’ve always wanted to do — to coach back at the University of Georgia.”
HT: SEC Country