By Andy Walter

CAMDEN — Rayshaun Ward is no stranger to the Caesar Rodney School District or to its basketball players.

A 2008 CR grad, the 34-year-old has worked and coached in the district for a decade.

With all that experience, Ward thinks he’s the right person to become the Riders’ next boys’ basketball head coach.

Ward was recently hired to replace veteran coach Frank Victory, who has coached in the district for 27 years, including the last five leading the boys’ program.

Victory’s teams went 59-41 with four winning seasons.

For a man who says “I’m Caesar Rodney through and through,” Ward is pretty excited about the opportunity.

“We have a young team,” he said. “And I’ve known these kids for a very long time.

“I’ve helped develop these kids since they were in grade school. These kids are looking for a person to connect with and build with. ... I see these kids in the hallway every day.”

For the past two seasons, Ward has been the head coach at CR’s Postlethwait Middle School, posting a record of 9-14.

He’s also coached the freshman and junior varsity programs as well as being a varsity assistant under former coach Freeman Williams, who is now CR’s principal.

A former fifth-grade teacher in the district, Ward is now the Dean of Student Achievement at the high school. He’s a Delaware State University grad.

“We already have those connections outside of basketball,” he said. “They look to me as a leader in the community and I’m ready to help them excel on and off the court.”

Bob Beron, CR’s athletic director, said he likes the energy that Ward brings to the position.

“He brings excitement, that’s the big thing,” said Beron. “You see him in the hallway, he’s a significant presence with all the kids.

“I see nothing but positives that are going to come out of him. He just brings a whole new electric vibe to our program.”

Along with coaching at CR, Ward is a former AAU coach and has been one of the directors of Kent County Parks & Recreation’s summer camps.

In that capacity, he should be able to get the Riders involved in the summer basketball scene right away.

Ward has held an interest meeting for potential players, most of whom were younger students who weren’t involved in spring sports.

Despite a 12-8 record this past winter, CR didn’t make the DIAA state tournament. The Riders haven’t been in the tourney since 2022, when they finished 13-9.

“That’s the goal — to make it to the post-season tournament — because we missed it the last two years,” said Ward. “The goal is to get better each and every year.

“It would be awesome to make it this year, especially with a young group of guys that haven’t seen the post-season.”

The Riders had only 12 players listed on their varsity roster last winter. Of that group, four were seniors.

Junior Khalil Kemp made second-team All-Henlopen North.

Beron thinks Ward will be able to keep things “streaming along in the right direction while constantly adding new techniques, new blood, new thoughts and new things into it.”

“Coach has been a part of many of our programs,” said Beron. “He’s been a middle-school coach all the way up to now helping out as the head varsity coach.”

Basketball is a sport where just a few players switching schools can have a big impact on programs. Ward, of course, wants to keep all the players who grew up in the district in the program.

“That’s very important,” he said. “Athletics come second. We’d love to keep them in the school for academics, too, because we want to see them graduate from Caesar Rodney.”

As the biggest high school in Delaware, Ward knows there’s potential for CR to have a competitive basketball program.

“Seeing these kids every day, I know there’s talent walking through our hallways,” he said. “It’s all about making those connections with the kids and then encouraging them to come out and play.

“I’m all in on these kids and I’m looking forward to building this program up and just having fun with it. I’m a Caesar Rodney kid, I’m a Caesar Rodney educator, I’m a Caesar Rodney person. I bleed blue and gold. I just want the kids to be successful in any way they can be.

“It’s going to be tough,” Ward added. “But the only way to get better is through obstacles and challenges."

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