Ward, three-sport coach at Northwestern, dies at 54

Jim Ward, the longtime track and field, football and wrestling coach at Baltimore's Northwestern High, died of a heart attack Thursday night in Buffalo, N.Y., while attending a church service. He was 54.

Ward taught physical education and health at Northwestern from 1969 to 1984. His track teams won 11 Maryland Scholastic Association titles. His wrestling teams went 65-15, and his football teams were ranked in the Top 20 for nine seasons.

Ward later became the offensive coordinator for the football teams at Howard University and Norfolk State, and he was the head coach at the University of Buffalo from 1992 to 1995.

He had been working as a consultant with the Mount Olive Corporation in Buffalo.

Funeral arrangements are pending for services to be held in Buffalo and Baltimore.