Ward enters her fourth season as Head Coach for the Bucs in 2019-20.  

Under Ward's guidance, the Bucs won their second straight Suncoast Conference Championship in 2018-19, going a perfect 9-0 in conference play and 30-4 overall on the year.  FSW advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament for the first time in program history last season, earning an at-large bid to Lubbock.  The Bucs won their first tournament game in program history in an overtime nailbiter against Cochise before taking #1 Wabash Valley to the wire before falling by three late to finish the tournament in 9th place. The Bucs began the year ranked #12 in the NJCAA National Poll and spent all 11 weeks of the regular season inside the top 20 including a #9 mark to close the year, the highest ranking in program history.  Ward was named the Suncoast Conference Coach of the Year and was accompanied by five players in the All-Conference squads including Tina Stephens who was named the Player of the Year, a First Team All-State, and First Team All-American at years' end.  All five FSW sophomores moved onto the next level including three to the Division I level.  

Ward and the Buccaneers wrapped up the 2017-18 campaign with 26-6 overall record (8-1 Suncoast Conference). The Purple and Aqua earned the program's first Suncoast Conference championship and secured their second consecutive berth to the NJCAA District VIII Championship. As a team, the Bucs finished 14th in the country in offensive rebounds per game (17.3), but they also ranked in the top 50 nationally in multiple categories, including points per game (79.0, 17th), total points (2,529; 18th), field goal percentage (44.0 percent; 20th), total rebounds per game (45.0; 23rd), blocks per game (4.5; 28th) and steals per game (11.3; 46th).

In her first season at Florida SouthWestern, Ward led the Purple and Aqua to a 20-11 overall record. The Buccaneers, ranked No. 5 in the final NJCAA Region 8 Coaches’ Poll, earned a berth to the NJCAA District VIII Championship in the first year of the program with a second place finish in the Southern Conference (9-3). The Bucs also won 11 of their last 12 games to close the regular season and were one of four schools in the state with both its men’s and women’s basketball teams represented in the State Tournament (Central Florida, Broward, Tallahassee).

The Bucs has four student-athletes receive postseason accolades in 2016-17, as Erna Normil, LaToya Ashman and Amanda Oliver all earned Southern Conference First Team selections and Dajsha Hall picked up a spot on the Southern Conference Second Team.

Ward, who brought 20+ years of coaching knowledge and experience at the junior college level to FSW, spent four seasons on the sidelines for Florida State College of Jacksonville and prior to arriving at FSCJ in 2011-12, Ward was the head coach at Northwest-Shoals Community College from 1995-2011.

She was named Mid-Florida Conference Coach of the Year twice, had three consecutive 20-plus winning seasons (while being nationally ranked) and won back-to-back Mid-Florida Conference Championships at FSCJ.

During her time at NW-Shoals Community College, Ward had an overall record of 384-141 (.730) and her team had a 100 percent retention rate and a 95 percent graduation rate. She helped over 60 players earn four-year scholarships and took her team to the National Championship game, while being ranked number one in the country. Ward was also a five-time Coach of the Year in her region and a four-time Coach of the Year in the Alabama Community College Conference.

Career Highlights

Education

• Nova Southeastern University: Doctor of Education
  Double concentration - Higher Education / Organizational Leadership
• University of North Alabama: Education Specialist Degree
• University of North Alabama: Master's of Arts in Education
• University of North Alabama: Bachelor's of Science in Education

 Coaching Experience

Coaching Highlights

Florida State College at Jacksonville

• Three consecutive 20-plus win seasons while nationally ranked
• Back-to-back Mid-Florida Conference Champions
• Two-time Coach of the Year – Mid-Florida Conference
• Three seasons - 15 players awarded four-year basketball scholarships

Northwest-Shoals Community College

• Women’s Basketball team 100% academic retention rate over 16 year period
• Women’s Basketball graduation rate over 16 year period – 95%.
• Over 60 players awarded 4-year basketball scholarships
• Competed in the finals of the National Championship game
• Five time Coach of the Year – Region XXII
• Four time Coach of the Year – Alabama Community College Conference
• Overall coaching record – 384-141 (.730)
• Numerous top rankings in the NJCAA poll with the highest spot at number one in the country.