Lorenzo Ward close to deal to join Fresno State staff

Former South Carolina defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward could be named Fresno State’s defensive coordinator as soon as Tuesday.

A deal is “close to being done,” a source with knowledge of the negotiations told The State on Monday. The Scout.com website BarkBoard.com reported Monday that Ward will be named the Bulldogs new defensive boss, and the website FootballScoop.com reported Ward is “expected to be” hired.

Fresno State currently has a defensive coordinator in Nick Toth, but Toth could be demoted or share duties with Ward, BarkBoard.com reported.

Ward was South Carolina’s sole defensive coordinator from 2012-2014 and shared the role with Jon Hoke last season. Ward was not retained by new head coach Will Muschamp.

Ward coached for seven seasons at Virginia Tech and also has worked at Chattanooga and Alabama.

Former South Carolina special teams coordinator Joe Robinson will be the new special teams coordinator at Texas Tech, a source told The State.

This story was originally published January 4, 2016 at 5:05 PM.