TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida A&M University announced that Charlie Ward, NBA veteran, and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, has been named the 16th head men's basketball coach.
 
Ward retired as a player in 2004 and began coaching for the NBA's Houston Rockets under Jeff Van Gundy. Ward coached for the Rockets for two seasons before serving as an assistant basketball coach and head football coach at Westbury Christian School in Houston. After six seasons at Westbury, he was named head football coach at Booker T. Washington High School in Pensacola, Florida. Since 2018, Ward has been the head coach at Florida High School. In 2022, he led the team to its first state championship victory since 1963.
 
Ward and his family have strong ties to FAMU. Both of his parents attended the university, meeting on campus as undergraduate students in the late '50s, and his father Charlie Ward, Sr. was a standout athlete on FAMU's football team. Ward's older sister is also an alumna of the university.
 
An elite two-sport athlete, Charlie Ward, Jr. brought poise, power and precision to the gridiron and the hardwood. As the point guard for Florida State, he led the Seminoles to back-to-back deep NCAA Tournament runs, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 1992 and an Elite Eight finish in 1993. In 1991, he sealed the Metro Conference Championship with a game-winning shot against Louisville. He remains Florida State's all-time leader in career steals (236) and ranks sixth all-time in assists (396).
 
The Thomasville, Georgia native became Florida State's first Heisman Trophy winner in 1993, completing nearly 70% of his passes for over 3,000 yards, 27 touchdowns, and only four interceptions. Just 15 days after snagging the Heisman Trophy, Ward laced up his sneakers and rejoined the basketball squad, starting 16 games at point guard and averaging a college career high of 10.5 points and 4.9 assists for the season.
 
Among his accolades, Ward earned the Davey O'Brien Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and was named Walter Camp Player of the Year. He is only the second college football player to win the Sullivan Award, recognizing him as the top amateur athlete in the nation.
 
Undrafted by the NFL, Ward pivoted to professional basketball. The New York Knicks selected him 26^th overall in the 1994 NBA Draft. Over a 12-year career, Ward brought his leadership to the Knicks, Spurs, and Rockets, earning a reputation as one of the league's most respected floor generals.

About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams. 
 
Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field and Tennis. 
 
Women’s competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball. 
 
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