Ward makes transition to coaching

[Kori Ellis]

Ward makes transition to coaching
column by Randy Beard
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/talla...y/12947233.htm


Really, nothing has changed for Charlie Ward.

Though he retired as a point guard with the Houston Rockets last week, the former two-sport standout at Florida State is still making the most of the transition game.

Anticipating all options, whether on the basketball court or the football field, is something Ward has been quite adept at through the years. So after realizing that last December's knee surgery hadn't had the desired results, he quickly made one last adjustment.

He approached Houston Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy about taking on a coaching role with the team.

"I've always been the coach on the team; all my teams," Ward said. "Point guard, quarterback ... regardless I was a player-coach."

Van Gundy agreed it was a logical step, offering Ward a player development role this season.

"He said, 'You're welcome to come on full-time now,'" Ward said of Van Gundy, who was also his coach with the New York Knicks.

For Ward, it may be the ideal opportunity. He has a chance to see whether a coaching career is something he wants to pursue without having to subject himself to the travel schedule he had as a player for 11 seasons.

For now, he's helping rehab anyone being held out because of injury. But because of his playing experience, he's also involved in full practices.

"When you are credible and you've done it, and been in certain situations, players are going to respect you," Ward said. "I know what they are thinking, so it is not hard to relate. I don't talk much, and never have, but whenever I make a point or something, it gets their attention."

As much as Ward had hoped to extend his playing career another year, he said it wasn't traumatic to walk away.

"It wasn't as tough as people make it out to be," said Ward, who had career scoring averages of 6.3 points and 4.0 assists. "I was at peace about it after 11 years. I was able to play for a long time and experience a lot of different things."

He's particularly proud of the fact that he spent nearly 10 years calling Madison Square Garden his home court because he considers it a tribute to his leadership.

"To be on one team for almost 10 years when you're not a superstar, that just doesn't happen," he said.

Ward didn't leave the Knicks until two years ago, joining the San Antonio Spurs at midseason. Then last season, he signed with Houston, where he was reunited with FSU teammate Bob Sura. Alas, there was an early end to the 2004-05 season when Ward suffered the knee injury in December.

The down time allowed him to enjoy more quality family time, which is something his new role with the Rockets will allow him to continue doing.

It's why he's in no rush to become a head coach.

"That takes too much of your time. But I've always thought about coaching, whether it was here, AAU or teaching and mentoring young kids," said Ward, who won the 1993 Heisman Trophy but went undrafted by the NFL. "I'll see how this goes. All my career I've taken things as they come, so this is no different."

[spursfaninla]

I would doubt that people have much to say about him; he was a waste of bench space here. I'm glad he got a job in coaching instead of trying to subject more people to his lack of ability to play anymore.

Heck, when he was on the Spurs he was terrible, I can't imagine he tried to play after knee surgery after that point!