For the past three seasons, the Jackson State football team was coached by Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders, who is arguably the best cover corner in NFL history, and on Tuesday, December 27th, another HBCU took a similar route as they are set to hire arguably the best cover safety in NFL history.
After back-to-back seasons of two wins and nine losses, Bethune-Cookman fired Terry Sims, and they have agreed in principle to hire Ed Reed as their new head coach. For the past three seasons, Reed was the ‘Chief of Staff’ for his alma mater, the Miami Hurricanes, where his duties included strategic planning, player development, and player evaluations.
Ed Reed’s History
A native of St. Rose, Louisiana, Ed Reed earned All-State honors as a high school senior. In addition to All-State honors, he was also named the New Orleans Times-Picayune District Most Valuable Defensive Player. Reed recorded 83 tackles, seven interceptions, and three forced fumbles during his final year at Destrehan High School.
After a stellar prep football career, Reed traveled to Coral Gables, Florida, to become a student-athlete at the University of Miami. He was a four-year starter, but his defining season came in 2001 when he had 35 solo tackles and nine interceptions. He was one of the defensive leaders on a team that cruised their way to the 2001 National Championship.
With the 24th pick in the 2002 NFL Draft, the Baltimore Ravens selected the ball-hawking safety, Ed Reed. He played for the Ravens from 2002-2012. During his career as a Raven, Reed was a 9-time Pro Bowler, a 3-time NFL interceptions leader, he was the 2004 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and a Super Bowl Champion.
Reed became a free agent in 2013, and he signed with the Houston Texans, but two months into the season, he was released by the Texans and signed by the New York Jets. Reed was out of football for the 2014 season, and he formally announced his retirement from the game in 2015.
The newly retired all-pro safety was hired as an assistant defensive backs coach for the Buffalo Bills in 2016, but Reed wasn’t retained when a head coaching change was made. Three years later, the former all-pro NFL safety received his gold jacket and officially became an NFL Hall of Famer.
Ed’s Future
Now the 44-year-old NFL gridiron legend Ed Reed is ready to start his new football journey as the head coach of the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats. The Wildcats were members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) from 1979 to 2020, and currently, they are members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
While competing in the MEAC, Bethune-Cookman won eight conference titles and two Black College Football National Championships back in 2010 and 2013, the recent failures from the football team are unacceptable, and the university is confident that the new head coach will lead the football program back to prominence.
Ed Reed is the perfect candidate in regards to helping college players maximize their gifts as both a student and an athlete. Years ago, Reed was a top high school player who decided to take his talents to Coral Gables, Florida, and now he’s a college head coach who will attempt to recruit the top high school players and persuade them to take their talents to Daytona Beach, Florida to play for the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats.
For more sports news by Vince Smith, click here.
