MSU Athletics

Minot State University named Travis Ward as its new head volleyball coach in 2011, becoming the Beavers' sixth head coach in school history.

Ward will lead the Beavers into 2014 with high expectations and a more experienced team than ever before as they look to break into the top half of the competitive Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference after finishing 13th in 2013.

In his first two seasons at Minot State, he compiled a 24-40 record, while competing one season in arguably the toughest conference in the country, the Northern Sun.

In Ward's first season in the NSIC, the Beavers finished with a 6-24 season. Minot State went 2-18 in conference play.

The Beavers enjoyed immediate success under Ward as MSU went 18-16 in his first season - the school's provisional year in its transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II. The Beavers had their first winning season in multiple seasons. Minot State finished off the season with a second-place finish in the Lindenwood Locos Grill Transitional Tournament.

Ward spent three seasons turning around the Laramie County Community College (Wyo.) program. LCCC had eight wins the season before Ward took over. In just two seasons, he built them into a nationally recognized team. In 2009, LCCC was 31-8 and ranked in the top 20. In 2010, LCCC finished the season as the No. 7 ranked team in the country. He also oversaw five Academic All- Americans during his coaching stint at LCCC and coached nine all-region players including the school’s first All-American honor.

Prior to his time at Laramie County, he spent three seasons as Associate Head Coach at Western Oregon, helping guide the university to its first berth in the NCAA Division II National Tournament.

Ward, a native of Spokane, Wash., also has experience at the prep level as he was the head coach at St. George High School in Spokane, earning back-to-back state tournament appearances in 2003-04.

He graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts in counseling and intercultural students from Prairie College in Three Hills, Alberta and then earned a second degree, a Bachelor of Science in business and exercise science,  from Western Oregon in 2005. He played three seasons for the Prairie College men’s volleyball team.