Report: Former Knicks Star Lands College Coaching Job

Another New York Knicks star is set to enter the collegiate coaching ranks.

FSUS Seminoles head coach Charlie Ward looks on against the The Rock National Lions during the first half at The Rock School in Gainesville, FL on Friday, January 19, 2024. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun] | Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

Another former New York Knicks star is going back to school.

Per Pete Thamel of ESPN, turn-of-the-century Knicks mainstay Charlie Ward is closing in on a deal that would make him the next head coach of the Florida A&M men's basketball program. Well-known for his multi-sport affairs, Ward played 10 seasons with the Knicks (1994-2004) after winning a Heisman Trophy on the football field with the Florida State Seminoles.

Since his last NBA season in 2004-05 (spent between San Antonio and Houston), Ward has been active in the amateur coaching ranks. After briefly serving on the Rockets' coaching staff led by his former Manhattan boss Jeff Van Gundy, Ward had separate tenures as a boys basketball and football coach at Westbury Christian School in Houston.

More recently, Ward has served as the head coach of Florida State University School's high school program. One of his proteges was Knicks Summer League star Jaylen Martin, who currently sits on the Brooklyn Nets' roster.

In New York, Ward became a fan favorite for his outside shooting and never-quit demeanor. He was a part of the Knicks' last NBA Finals squad in 1999 and was the last first-round pick to sign a second contract with New York until current center Mitchell Robinson broke the curse in 2022. Ward came to the Knicks as the 26th overall pick in the 1994 draft.

Ward is set to become the latest former Knick to enter the Division I head coaching ranks, a brotherhood that also includes Mike Bibby (Sacramento State), Hubert Davis (North Carolina), Penny Hardaway (Memphis), and Rod Strickland (LIU).

The Rattlers are coming off a 14-17 season that produced a 10-8 record in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and are seeking their first NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament berth since 2007. FAMU is located in Tallahassee, the Florida capital that previously hosted Ward's multi-sport affairs as a Seminole.

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