Charlie Ward, Reggie Theus bring NBA intensity to Florida A&M, Bethune-Cookman rivalry

One phenomenon that we often talk about when it comes to HBCU athletics is the former professional athlete turned coach. It’s not a new trend as we’ve seen it often before the new millennium. But, Deion Sanders’s arrival at Jackson State in 2020 caused a contemporary wave of professional athletes expressing interest or becoming coaches at HBCUs.

The phenomenon is not limited to HBCU football; we’ve seen it in HBCU basketball as well, though with significantly less fanfare. Of course, you have Mo Williams at Jackson State, but in Florida, you see two former NBA standouts who are now HBCU coaches: Bethune-Cookman’s Reggie Theus, who also serves as the Athletic Director for the Wildcats, and Charlie Ward, a Florida State legend in his first season at leading Florida A&M in his first season.

This matchup is interesting as the start of the SWAC schedule for both Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman. We know that both institutions have a fierce rivalry that culminates in football with the Florida Classic, which Bethune-Cookman resoundingly won this past year. But this basketball matchup is going to be rather high-profile. The game will be broadcast on HBCU Go, and it’s sure to secure a national audience curious to see how Charlie Ward’s team fares in his first season at the helm while also seeing just how good Reggie Theus’s Wildcats will be.

Ward has already made significant recruiting wins, including getting on the radar of several talented recruits and playing the long game in building his program. But true success starts today. You have to build the foundation of the team you’re going to be in the future today. So the question is simple: Is Ward really ready to show the SWAC and HBCU basketball that he’s a contender with the roster that he has?

It appears that Ward has already found a key contributor who is sure to shine bright in SWAC play. Jaquan Sanders leads the team in scoring, averaging 11.2 points per game while connecting on 39.6% of his long-range shots. He’s also a reliable free-throw shooter, averaging 81% for the year. Now, as we know, the early season slate is not always the best representation of a smaller institution’s prospects, as many HBCU programs play Power 5-ranked teams.

However, Sanders showed proof of concept on December 2nd against Jacksonville, where he scored 20 points and made six three-pointers. To close out 2025, he showed promise against TCU with 16 points and five assists, and then against Georgia Tech, he finished with 20 points, five rebounds, four assists, and five steals. If he’s putting up numbers like this out of conference, how will he lock in when the games suddenly now have more meaning?

Sanders has the perfect opportunity to showcase his skills in conference as Ward’s Rattlers look to make a play for the SWAC Championship in his first season. But Reggie Theus has built a winner at Bethune-Cookman during his tenure. Last season, they finished 17-16, including a 13-5 record in conference and an 8-2 record at home. They pulled out two huge victories over Florida A&M last year, including a 62-55 victory in January and a narrow 76-75 win in March. It seemed as if they might contend for the SWAC tournament title, but Jackson State—led by another former NBA standout in Mo Williams—was able to knock off the Wildcats 71-50.

While Bethune-Cookman’s 3-10 record this year is not indicative of their talent, their matchup against Auburn showed a lot of promise. In a 95-90 overtime loss, the Wildcats saw four players hit double figures. Quentin Heady finished with 21 points, and Arterio Morris had 20 points and 10 rebounds against a ranked Auburn team that made the Final Four last year. They didn’t fare as well against number 25 Indiana or top-ranked Arizona, but I believe Bethune-Cookman and Reggie Theus have grown through this trial by fire.

This SWAC opener is a huge showcase for Ward against one of the best teams in the conference, a rival no less. It also serves as a display to the Rattler faithful who want to see the men’s basketball team find success. Patrick Crarey brought marginal success to Florida A&M in his lone season with the program last year. But after they couldn’t come to terms on a deal, he left for Grambling. Charlie Ward is a high-profile, “celebrity” hire for basketball. Can he bring that same level of intensity and lead Florida A&M back to its winning pedigree?

This rivalry remains compelling to watch across all sports, and you should definitely be tuned in this weekend. Florida A&M vs. Bethune-Cookman is scheduled to air as a doubleheader on HBCU Go. The women’s teams will play at 1:00 PM EST, while the men’s teams will play at 3:30 PM EST.

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