BOONVILLE — After a year away from the sideline, Darin Ward is stepping into a new role that keeps him at the heart of high school athletics. On Monday, the Warrick County School Corp. board approved Ward as the new athletic director for Boonville High School—a homecoming of sorts for the 1992 graduate who has deep roots in the community.

Ward stepped down as Boonville's head football coach in March 2025, citing the relentless demands of the job. But he never completely stepped away from sports. During his 14-month break, he remained a teacher at the school and even served as a volunteer assistant basketball coach, staying connected to the game he loves. That time off, he says, gave him the clarity he needed to chart his next chapter.

"I'm just at a different kind of phase of my career," Ward said. "I've always been conditioned to working with young people as a football coach for a number of years. It was good to take a year off from coaching to recharge my batteries. I'm really eager to help work with other coaches from other sports on ways that their lives can be a little bit easier."

Ward's journey in athletics started at Indiana University, where he played football under the late, legendary coach Bill Mallory. After earning a degree in health and physical education, he built an impressive coaching résumé that includes head coaching stints at Corydon Central (2001–2003 and 2009–2013) and Charlestown, before returning to Warrick County in 2015.

During his decade at Boonville, Ward led the Pioneers to 59 wins and only one losing season. The 2018 campaign was especially memorable, as the team captured a Big Eight Conference title and finished the regular season undefeated. Over 19 years as a head coach, he compiled a 129–76 record, highlighted by a regional championship at Corydon in 2011 and a sectional title at Charlestown in 2014.

Ward takes over for outgoing athletic director Michael Chapman, who is moving into the role of Boonville High School assistant principal this fall. With Chapman and former AD Kevin Davis as mentors, Ward has a strong blueprint for success. The school has also made significant upgrades to its athletic facilities in recent years, including new turf and improved training spaces, setting the stage for Ward to build on that momentum.

For a man who has spent his career shaping young athletes, this new position is a natural next step—one that allows him to support not just football, but every sport at his alma mater.