Florida A&M University has named former Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward as the new head coach of its men’s basketball team. Per ESPN’s Pete Thamel: “Sources: FAMU is finalizing a deal to hire Charlie Ward as the next men’s basketball coach. The deal is pending final board approval at 3 p.m. today. Ward is a former Heisman Trophy winner at Florida State and star basketball player at FSU and in the NBA.”
According to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein, Ward, 54, has agreed to a five-year deal with FAMU, pending approval from the university’s Board of Trustees during a meeting scheduled for later Wednesday. The hire follows the departure of Patrick Crarey II, who left last week to take over as head coach at Grambling State.
Ward is well-known in the state of Florida thanks to his legendary two-sport career at Florida State University from 1989 to 1994. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1993 after an outstanding senior football season, where he led the Seminoles to a national championship under legendary coach Bobby Bowden. That year, Ward threw 27 touchdown passes against just four interceptions and was named ACC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
He also appeared in 91 games for FSU, serving as the team’s primary point guard. One of his most iconic moments came in the 1991 Metro Conference Tournament when he hit a game-winning shot against Louisville, clinching the school’s first conference tournament title in over 30 years. He was also part of the Seminoles’ 1993 Elite Eight run in the NCAA Tournament.
Ward was selected by the New York Knicks in the first round of the 1994 NBA Draft after being passed over in the early rounds of the NFL Draft. In his 10-year NBA career he played primarily with the Knicks, where he started 272 games and appeared in 580 total, averaging 6.5 points per game and shot 41% from the field. He later had stints with the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets before retiring in 2005.
Ward has served as the head basketball coach at Florida High School in Tallahassee since 2018, where he guided the team to a state championship in 2022. He also recently served as an assistant coach for USA Basketball during the 2025 Nike Hoops Summit.
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