Ed Reed Named Bethune-Cookman Head Coach
Bethune-Cookman University has announced that Hall of safety Ed Reed will become its name head football coach. Bethune-Cookman is an HBCU in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
Reed has been serving in an advisory role at the University of Miami, his alma mater, since 2020. Under Mario Cristobal, he was working as the Cheif of Staff. He also served as the Buffalo Bills’ defensive backs coach in 2016.
Reed is continuing the path Deion Sanders created at Jackson State. At Jackson State, Sanders completed a rebuild that culminated in a 12-1 record in 2022 before making the move to division one after being hired by Colorado. Now, Reed may not be looking to make the jump to division one, but, at a minimum, he will be looking to rebuild Bethune-Cookman’s football program.
In 2022, Bethune-Cookman had a disappointing year as they finished 2-9. Reed will have a lot of work to do, but he is the type of person that could quickly change the culture of a school.
Bethune-Cookman is located in Daytona Beach, Florida. That will help Reed in his rebuilding efforts. Reed is a legend in the state of Florida after his legendary college football career at Miami. He played for the Hurricanes from 1998 to 2001. In 2001, he led the Hurricanes’ defense and helped Miami go 12-0 and win a National Championship.
For recruiting purposes, it certainly helps that Florida is stacked with elite talent.
Reed’s success did not stop in college. Reed played 12 seasons in the NFL and established himself as one of the best safeties of all time. The highlight of his career is his time with the Baltimore Ravens where he played a key role alongside Ray Lewis and other legends in creating some of the best defenses of the 2000s and 2010s. At the end of his career, he finished with 61 interceptions and was named a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Reed immediately makes Bethune-Cookman an appealing option to any defensive back that is looking to learn from an all-time great. There is a strong chance that Reed can grow the program above that level as well.
