Charlie Ward out of the NBA life and happy about it

Charlie Ward was an impressive two-sport athlete at Florida State — remember he won the Heisman as quarterback — who went on to have an 11-year NBA career, mostly with the Knicks.

From there he went on to be an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets, where he stayed a couple years and had options. Other teams were interested, he could try to start climbing the NBA coaching ladder.

Then he walked away from it all to coach football and basketball at a 500-student Christian school in Houston.

And he couldn’t be happier. Jim Caven of Knickerblogger sat down with Ward about his choices.

“I wanted to have a more hands-on experience,” explains Ward in his characteristically even, calm Southern drawl. “I wanted the chance to put game plans together, implement those game plans, and really mentor kids. Those are the main reasons I am where I am today. That’s my focus.”

Rather than being an assistant in a bright spotlight, he is now the guy calling the shots out of the light. Well, as much as high school football in Texas can ever be out of the light. And as much as a guy who can put a Heisman on his mantel is ever out of the light.

But read the piece and it sounds mostly like Ward is happy. He gets to be a family man, he gets to mentor youth. He gets to do things his way.

Hard not to be happy with all that.