Florida State football has had its fair share of remarkable players at this university. One notable name was former quarterback Charlie Ward, who won a Heisman Trophy in 1993 with the Seminoles.
The signal-caller completed 264 of his 380 passes (69.5%) for 3,032 yards and 27 touchdowns with only four interceptions through the air, while he also had 65 carries for 339 yards and four touchdowns.
Ward was not only a great player on the gridiron, he also did a solid job on the hardwood. He had four productive seasons with the basketball team, averaging 8.1 points, 4.9 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.8 steals per game.
He decided to enter the 1994 NBA Draft, where the New York Knicks selected him with the 26th overall pick in the first round. Ward played ten seasons with the Knicks where he averaged 6.5 points, 4.2 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. Then he played one season with the Spurs and one season with the Rockets.
Ward had a previous coaching history, where he was an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets, head coach for Westbury Christian School, head coach at Booker T. Washington High School, and head coach at Florida State University School (Florida High).
On Wednesday, it was reported by ESPN's Pete Thamel that Florida A&M has finalized a deal to make Charlie Ward the next men's basketball coach.
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. pic.twitter.com/VoMOnIIUJs
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 16, 2025
It was big to keep Ward in Tallahassee. I know that some fans wanted him to have an opportunity to be an assistant coach at Florida State. It would have been cool to see him with the Seminoles, but I am glad that he was able to stay in Tallahassee with Florida A&M.