Football | 7/11/2018 11:58:00 AM

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – KiJuan Ware has been hired as a full-time assistant coach for the Shippensburg University football team. Ware will serve as the running backs coach and work as the recruiting coordinator for the Red Raiders.
 
Ware replaces the staff position of Jeff Tomasetti, who resigned in June to take a position at Millersville University.
 
"We are extremely excited to add Coach Ware to our Red Raider family," head coach Mark Maciejewski said. "He brings with him a tremendous amount of experience at all levels of coaching, and I am very excited to see our players benefit from his skillful teaching and his expertise."
 
In 2016 and 2017, Ware served as the offensive coordinator, recruiting coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Shorter University, a Division II school in Georgia that plays in the Gulf South Conference (GSC). Ware directed an offensive unit that achieved 17 school records last season, including top marks from wide receiver Lewis Hayes and quarterback Tyler Pullum.
 
Prior to Shorter, Ware spent two seasons as the quarterbacks coach at Williams College in Massachusetts. The Ephs enhanced their passing production average by more than 40 yards per game during his tenure with the Division III program. He spent the 2013 season as the secondary coach at Eastern Michigan University.
 
Ware worked as a running backs coach at Western Illinois University in 2011 and 2012, earning a promotion to offensive coordinator in his second season with the Leathernecks. In his debut season, Ware's running backs finished the year without losing a single fumble in 332 rushing attempts, the only time during Western Illinois' Division I era it accomplished the feat.
 
In his time with Western Illinois, Ware's backfield recorded five 100-yard rushing games despite four players missing time due to injury, including two 100-yard rushers in a game against FCS National Champion North Dakota State. Ware instructed a true freshman, Nikko Watson, who was pressed into action in the eighth game of the season and was named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Team after recording three of those 100-yard games.
 
Ware previously spent the 2009 and 2010 seasons as the running backs coach at Miami (Ohio) University, where he was a part of one of the best turnarounds in NCAA Division I history. The RedHawks went from 1-11 in Ware's first year to 10-4 in 2010. He was part of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship team and GoDaddy.com Bowl victory over Middle Tennessee State.
 
In 2008, Ware spent the season as an offensive intern at Notre Dame. With the Fighting Irish, Ware worked with the running backs and special teams. He was also responsible for film breakdown, scouting reports, playbooks and other day-to-day office duties. Ware also spent two seasons each at Dartmouth (2004-05) and Georgetown (2006-07) working as the recruiting coordinator before his time at Notre Dame.
 
Ware began his collegiate coaching career working at his alma mater Springfield College for two years, working with the team's running backs and receivers. While in New England, Ware worked for five years as a teacher and the offensive coordinator at Weaver High School in Hartford, Connecticut where he assisted Weaver in capturing three state titles.
 
In January 2000, Ware received a prominent honor in being selected as a Fulbright Scholar. Ware, chosen for his academic merit and leadership potential, studied in Tokyo.
 
Ware has also been afforded the opportunity to attend a number of prestigious coaching academies during his distinguished career. In 2015, he participated in the Bill Walsh Internship program with the Denver Broncos. Previously, Ware attended the NCAA Expert Coaches Academy in 2010 and was one of 15 individuals selected to participate in the NCAA Football Coaching Academy during the summer of 2006.
 
As an undergraduate, Ware was a two-sport athlete as both a quarterback in football and a pitcher and first baseman on the baseball team at Springfield (Mass.). He graduated from Springfield in 1997 with a degree in mathematics and computer science, and later earned his master's degree from Springfield in 2004 – majoring in physical education and athletic administration.
 
A native of Hartford, Connecticut, Ware is married to his wife, Michelle. The couple has a daughter, Kalyx.