ST. PAUL, Minn. – Earlier this week, KiJuan Ware became the 29th head football coach at Macalester when he was named interim head coach. Ware served as the Scots' offensive coordinator the past two years after arriving in St. Paul in the summer of 2019. He has over 20 years of college coaching experience across all three divisions. Ten of those years came at Division I programs such as Dartmouth, Georgetown, Miami (Ohio) and Notre Dame. Ware also coached at Williams College, Shorter and Shippensburg, where he was the recruiting coordinator and running backs/tight ends coach prior to coming to Macalester.

Throughout his coaching career, Ware has focused on offense as a position coach and coordinator. In 2008, he coached the running backs at Notre Dame as the Irish won the Hawaii Bowl that year. As the running backs coach at Miami (Ohio), Ware helped the RedHawks significantly increase their rushing yards and touchdowns en route to the 2010 Mid-American Conference championship. He also was the offensive coordinator at Shorter and Western Illinois, and served as recruiting coordinator for several programs.

Ware was a mathematics and computer science major at Springfield (Mass.) College, where he played football and baseball before graduating in 1997. In 2000, he was named a Fulbright Scholar, and in 2004 he earned a Master's of Science degree in physical education and athletic administration from Springfield.

What does it mean to you to be the interim head football coach at Macalester?
Ware: To be named the interim head football coach is an honor. I am humbled to be selected by the administration to lead our football team as we transition to the MIAC. But, it's not about me. It's about bringing our football family together to represent Macalester moving forward.  
 
You have been coaching football at the college level for over 20 years. How has your experience prepared you to be the Scots' head coach?
Ware: Each stop of my career, I have learned what works and what doesn't work. I have also learned to embrace lifelong professional development as the game and student-athletes continue to evolve. I have always sought opportunities to learn more whether it is coaching on both sides of the football, player development on and off the field, and the administrative duties also required of head coaches. I am ready to apply what I have learned from my experiences to lead the Scots.
 
You've spent two years at Mac as the Scots' offensive coordinator. What makes Macalester special compared to the other places you've coached?
Ware: What makes this place special are the student-athletes. These students not only seek knowledge, but understanding. They are tireless workers on and off the field. Winners who like to compete academically and athletically.  
 
How is your staff structured now that you have moved into the head coaching position?
Ware: Our recruiting coordinator and quarterbacks coach Matthew Reed will be our offensive coordinator. David Hout, who has been an intern with the program for the past two years, will be our special teams coordinator. We are excited to bring our offensive line coach Mike Harris into more of a full-time role, as he will move into the intern position.
 
What camps around the country will you and your staff be attending this summer?
Ware: We will be all over the country looking for exceptional young men who will be future Scots. The camp schedule is below. We are looking forward to getting out there and meeting the next great class of Fighting Scots!

West Coast Elite (Pomona, Calif.), June 5-6
University of Minnesota, June 21 & July 31
New England Elite (Springfield, Mass.), June 24-25
Buddy Teevens Football Camp (Dartmouth), June 28-29 & July 10-11
Eli Football Camp (Yale), June 26 & July 8-9
Manning Passing Academy (Thibodaux, La.), July 15-18