MCPHERSON, KS - The McPherson College Athletics Department announced Tuesday morning that head coach Brian Ward has resigned his post effective Feb. 28. Ward, hired Dec. 8, 2006, has accepted an assistant coaching position at North Dakota State University.

Ward, the 2009 College Fanz Sports Networks Coach of the Year, amassed a 17-14 career mark at McPherson, including the programs first appearance in the NAIA Football Championship series and a school record nine wins. During his three-year tenure at McPherson, Ward coached seven NAIA All-Americans, bringing the school into the hunt for the KCAC conference championship for the first time since the team finished tied for third in 2003.

McPherson has named defensive coordinator Joe Bettasso as the Interim Head Coach. Bettasso has spent two seasons as the defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator for the Bulldog football program. Prior to McPherson, Bettasso served one season as an assistant secondary coach at Missouri Southern State University.