Charlie Ward jr

TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Charlie Ward Jr. was a winner as an athlete. Now he’s a champion as a head basketball coach.

The Thomas County native led the Florida High boys basketball team to the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 3A championship last Friday when the Seminoles prevailed 67-66 over Miami’s Riviera Prep. 

It was an exciting moment for Coach Ward, who joined the program four years ago.

“To be part of a championship in any form is always exciting because you know what it took to get there and all the different things you have to accomplish and go through in order to get there,” Ward said. “Just to see the work that you put in come to fruition and it lead to the ultimate goal to win the championship at the end of the season, it’s fulfilling for everyone that was involved.

“We were all in it together. I think that’s the reason why we were able to accomplish our goal to win the state championship, because of that.”

Ward has had experience in the coaching ranks following his standout collegiate football and basketball career that culminated in Florida State’s 1993 football national championship and his Heisman Trophy win, followed by a long NBA career that saw him play with the New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets. 

Ward previously served as head football coach at Pensacola’s Booker T. Washington High School. He also served as an assistant coach with the Rockets and coached at Westbury Christian School in Houston.

Ward understands what it takes to be successful. That success was seen on the court this year for the Seminoles.

“It takes a lot for you to have success,” he said. “One of the things that’s very evident when there is success is, my wife would say, ‘alignment.’ From the beginning, I had buy-in from administration, then from the coaches that were on staff and the athletic director and I; one who is no longer with us but the other one is there, him having sons on the team and helped seeing what we were trying to build. He understood that I’m not there for accolades and all of those type of things. I’m there to help student athletes progress and reach their goals of being able to go play college basketball or just be productive citizens. I work to try to make sure we have everything we need and not try to cut corners.”