Bethune-Cookman University is set to hire NFL-Hall-Of-Fame Safety Ed Reed as the new head coach of the Wildcat football team. This news comes weeks after Bethune-Cookman fired coach Terry Sims after a two straight 2-9 seasons in 2021 & 2022. Sims had four winning seasons in his seven year tenure and a 38-39 record overall.
Bethune-Cookman University Athletics has entered an agreement in principle with Pro Football Hall of Famer Ed Reed to be its 16th head football coach.
More information will be forthcoming.#𝙇𝙚𝙩𝙨𝙂𝙤 | #𝙃𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙨 | #𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙮𝙏𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧
— Bethune-Cookman Athletics (@BCUAthletics) December 27, 2022
Reed comes to Bethune-Cookman with three years of experience as Miami Hurricanes Football’s Chief-Of-Staff, which he served as from 2020-2022. Reed also served as Defensive Backs coach for the Buffalo Bills in 2016. In the role as Chief-Of-Staff, Reed was advisor to then head coach Manny Diaz and worked on strategic planning, quality control, operations, player evaluations and player development for the Hurricanes. Diaz explained Reed’s role during Miami Hurricanes signing day in 2020.
“It’s a job to me, that No. 1, is going to serve as a sounding board, as an advisor to me. Another set of eyes, somebody who sometimes can see things that I can’t see at practice, see things I can’t see at a workout and kind of come to me and say, ‘Hey, I’m not liking the body language of this guy,’ or might have something to say about an interaction between a player and a player or an interaction between a player and a coach,”
He might be a guy that can go into the locker room after practice and put his arm around a player and kind of talk about, ‘Hey, what’s going on in your life? What’s going on?’ He can serve as a mentor to our players because he’s not in that direct role of being on the coaching staff.”
Diaz added, “His ability to understand locker room dynamics, who wouldn’t benefit from having that in their football program, in addition to all he knows about the game and then a great mentor to our players.”
Reed was also a standout player for the Hurricanes in his time there from 1998-2001. He was a four-year starter, leading Miami to a national championship in 2001. He had 288 tackles and 21 interception in his college career. He was then drafted number 24 overall in the 2002 NFL Draft to the Baltimore Ravens. He won a championship alongside Ray Lewis in 2013.
Listen To HBCU Pulse Radio on SiriusXM Channel 142 HBCU every Friday at 5 PM EST/4 PM CST! Also, subscribe to our Apple Podcast, Spotify and YouTube!
