Florida A&M is set to appoint former Heisman Trophy winner and NBA first-round pick Charlie Ward as the new head coach for its men's basketball team. Ward's contract with the Rattlers is for five years, with a salary of $175,000 in 2025-26 plus annual increases of $10,000. Incentives in the deal could see him earning more than $350,000 yearly. Ward will succeed Patrick Crarey, who left to coach at Grambling State after the Rattlers finished last season with a 13-16 record.
Ward, 54, previously played quarterback for Florida State, where he won the Heisman Trophy and a national title in 1993-94. He also excelled in basketball, contributing to the Seminoles' Elite Eight run alongside future NBA players. Ward was drafted by the New York Knicks in 1994 and had an 11-year NBA career. A College Football Hall of Fame inductee, Ward brings coaching experience from his time with the Houston Rockets and Florida State University Schools. The Rattlers have struggled in recent years, with only two winning seasons since 1993-94, the most recent being in 2006-07.