In the new era of NIL, Charlie Ward seeks to build an HBCU powerhouse

['Tony Paige', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img', 'Height Auto Max-Width', 'Vertical-Align Bottom .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Vertical-Align Middle .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar Is .Alignleft .Alignright'] New York Amsterdam News 2025-10-02 00:00:00

That’s something Charlie Ward, the ex-Knick, Heisman Trophy, winner and newly installed basketball coach at FAMU, is going to have to deal with. He was the starting point guard when the Knicks made their last trip to the NBA Finals –– under Van Gundy –– in 1999. Ward became an assistant coach under Van Gundy (“He opened the door for me.”), and he has never forgotten that. As he starts his first year as the head coach, Ward marvels at where he is right now. “I was just thinking, in the movies, how the Power 4 coaches that you recognize are in the movie recruiting players.