Talladega College Head Men’s Basketball Coach Chris Wright announced the hiring of Tim Ward and Jon Warren.
Ward, who will serve as the top Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator, comes to Talladega after spending last season on staff at NCAA Division II Arkansas Tech University. Prior to his time in Russellville he spent three seasons at William Woods University. The first two years he served as a Graduate Assistant before being promoted to Assistant Coach in his final season. The Owls combined for 55 wins during his tenure in Fulton. 22 of those came during the 2016-2017 season when William Woods advanced to the American Midwest Conference Championship before falling to Harris-Stowe.
“I feel extremely fortunate to be able to add Tim Ward to our coaching staff,” said Head Coach Chris Wright. “The guy can flat-out recruit! He has tremendous contacts across the country and is relentless in the recruiting process. He is also a great person that possesses a lot of energy and has a tireless work ethic. Coaching is in his blood, as both his parents are successful high school coaches in Missouri. He just gets it and understands what it takes to win at this level.”
In addition, Ward currently serves as the 17U Coach for Team Carroll’s AAU program based out of Columbia, Missouri. Six of Ward’s past players have signed at Division I schools, while his team from this summer featured two Top 100 recruits, and ten players with current Division I offers.
“I would like to thank Dr. Hawkins, Coach Wright, Coach Herod, and Demond Walker for allowing me to join the coaching staff here at Talladega College,” said Ward. “I’m excited to represent this great college and join a program that has such a winning tradition. I’m ready to get to work with our players and look forward to continuing the high-level of success here.”
Talladega College alum Jon Warren also makes his way onto the coaching staff as an Assistant Coach. Warren served as a team captain the last three years as he played for Coach Wright at Central Baptist College for one season and then the last seasons at Talladega College. During that time, he tallied 69 wins and three trips to the NAIA National Tournament. Warren was also named to the AMC All-Defensive Team in 2017-2018.
“I love Jon Warren like a son,” said Coach Wright. “The relationship we have is extremely special to me, and I would trust him with my life. We do not have the success that we’ve had here without him. He embodies everything I want our program to stand for. He is a great person, a fiery competitor, and has a kind spirit about him. He loves the game of basketball and is not scared of hard work. Our players are going to benefit tremendously from his experiences in our program.”
“I am beyond blessed to seize this opportunity and become an assistant at my alma mater to be a part of the Men’s Basketball coaching staff under Coach Wright,” said Warren. “Coaching has always been a dream of mine and I’m extremely thankful to be able to do it at a place that holds such importance to me. I am excited about the players we recruited to continue to learn under Coach Wright. This should be a great year and I cannot wait to get to work.”
The program is coming off back-to-back 24-8 seasons that saw the Tornadoes climb as high as 8th in the country. Talladega College has qualified for the NAIA National Tournament in both of Wright’s seasons as the Head Coach. The Tornadoes look forward to beginning their inaugural season in the Dr. Billy C. Hawkins Student Activity Center. The state-of-the-art facility had its grand opening on August 14, 2020 and is home to the volleyball and basketball teams.
