Ward, Charlie

Charlie Ward

Charlie Ward joined the Millikin Athletic Department as the Head Men's Soccer Coach in December 2023.

Ward became the first coach in Big Blue men's soccer history to record a 10-win season in his first year at the helm of the Millikin program with a 10-5-2 record. He helped lead the Big Blue to an appearance in the CCIW Tournament for the first time since 2002, earning a bid to host as the #4 seed in the tournament. Under Ward's direction, three Big Blue players were named CCIW All-Conference selections and Nacho Diaz was a repeat United Soccer Coaches All-Region honoree. 

Prior to Millikin, Ward was an assistant at the University of Illinois-Springfield where the squad posted a 13-1-7 record, making the NCAA Division II Tournament. Ward coached Andrea Scapolo, who was named the Goalkeeper of the Year by the Midwest Region's sports information directors, the first one from the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The UIS staff was named the Regional Coaching Staff of the Year in the Midwest by the United Soccer Coaches. 

Before UIS, Ward served a two-year stint as a graduate assistant at Upper Iowa, graduating in May of 2023 with his Master's of Business Administration.

He began his coaching career with the Brazilian Soccer School in 2013 before joining the Arsenal Academy Pathway two years later. During his time with Arsenal, Ward worked with youth players developing their skills and pushing them towards academy trials. 

Graduating from Southampton Solent University with a Bachelor’s degree in football (soccer) studies, Ward also saw time as the goalkeeping coach for AFC Fawley. He currently holds the English FA Level 2 coaching license along with other talent identification certifications. Ward also worked as a Director of Coach Education for Rochester City (2020-2021). 
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