While it might have been a formality, it represented a significant step in the rebirth of Florida A&M men’s basketball.
Heisman Trophy winner and former Florida State dual-sport star Charlie Ward, who also played in the NBA for 12 years, was introduced as the new Rattlers’ coach on April 21, at 10 a.m. at the Alfred Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center.
The press conference was five days after his hiring was supposed to become official during a FAMU Board of Trustees meeting last Wednesday. However, a nationwide Zoom outage forced the meeting to be postponed.
Regardless, the excitement surrounding Ward’s decision to take over a program that last enjoyed a winning season in 2006-07 and made its third NCAA appearance remains high.
Ward expressed his gratitude and thanks for the opportunity to join FAMU, where his parents met as undergraduates in the 1950s. Ward said the job also solidifies his family’s commitment to Tallahassee.
“This is the only job, collegiate job, I was willing to take,” Ward said. “Many of you may know me as a Seminole, but I was born a Rattler. The opportunity to join FAMU, in this capacity, was a welcome one.”
Ward, who has a five-year, $975,000 contract in place, had served as the boys’ basketball coach at Florida High the past seven years. The Seminoles won a state title in 2022.
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“He’s just a great great guy. His demeanor, his temperament what he stands for is everything that a program and family could hope to have honestly,” former FSU and professional player Isaiah Swann said. “I just really think that if there’s going to be a guy who is going to turn that program around, it’s Charlie.
“And just what he means to the community of basketball, to the community of Tallahassee. … I really think he’s one of the best coaches I’ve been around.”
Former FSU star Charlie Ward enjoys extensive playing, coaching career
Ward, 54, is a familiar face and longtime fan favorite in Tallahassee.
At FSU, the Thomasville, Georgia, native led the football team to the program’s first national championship in 1993 and became the program’s first Heisman Trophy winner. He also played point guard for the basketball Seminoles, helping lead the program to the brink of the Final Four during his four seasons
Following his NBA career, where he played nine-plus years with the New York Knicks, Ward served as an assistant coach for the Rockets for two seasons (2005-07). He then embarked on a high school coaching career in football and basketball that started in Houston and eventually brought him back to Florida’s Panhandle.
Ward, known for his player development and discipline, was also recently named as an assistant for the 2025 USA Basketball Nike Hoop Summit.
“Charlie is a great hire ad I think the FAMU AD made a very smart move,” said Pat Kennedy, who coached Ward at FSU. “Who wouldn’t want their son to play for Charlie Ward?”
Ward replaces Patrick Crarey, who left after one season to take over at Southwestern Athletic Conference rival Grambling State. FAMU went 14-17 under Crarey.
Ward represents the third former FSU player to be named a head coach at FAMU, joining football’s James Colzie and baseball’s Jamey Shouppe. The FSU men’s basketball program also recently named former Seminole Luke Loucks as its new coach, taking over for veteran Leonard Hamilton.
“As a player and coach, Charlie possesses the leadership qualities, basketball knowledge, game experience and practical skills to make any team he’s associated with a success,” former FSU player Ron Miller said. “He certainly has proven this to be true over his illustrious basketball career. I have no doubt Charlie will as the head head coach of the FAMU men’s basketball team.”
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Charlie Ward era starts at FAMU: ‘Just what he means to the community of basketball’
Reporting by Jim Henry, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
