LUT WILLIAMS BCSP Editor
Before Tennessee State lost to Southeast Missouri in its final game on Sunday, the word was already out that head coach Rod Reed was going to be replaced by former Ohio State and NFL star running back Eddie George.
Several media outlets were reporting the change and were also reporting that Reed informed the TSU players before the game that it would be his last as head coach.
It was also out that George was reportedly bringing former Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson as his offensive coordinator, former Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher as an advisor and NFL star linebacker Ray Lewis in, perhaps to coach the linebackers?
In fact, sources contacted the BCSP Sunday to report that Jackson was on the TSU campus Sunday while Reed’s last game was being played there.
Now, it’s not clear or confirmed yet whether the Jackson, Fisher and Lewis rumors are any more substantial or true than fellow NFL great Deion (Coach Prime) Sanders’ assertions were when he said upon taking the Jackson State head coaching job in September that his staff would include assistants with 80-plus years of NFL coaching or playing experience. Didn’t happen! The Jackson, Fisher and Lewis hires are questions for George, who was officially announced Tuesday morning at TSU’s Gentry Center.
As was the case with Sanders’ hiring, the timing of George’s announcement is curious. Reed didn’t even get the chance to finish his last game before info leaked about his replacement? What was the rush? Those are questions for new TSU Athletics Director Dr. Mikki Allen and the TSU administrators, who were on stage Tuesday when George was officially introduced.
Before Sanders was hired at JSU, Athletics Director Ashley Robinson unceremoniously let former head coach John Hendrick go on August 31 after only one full season and only days after Hendricks was promoting his team and the program on SWAC preseason events for the 2020 season. One local TV station called it a move ‘out of left field.’ Hendrick said he was ‘shocked’ and ‘stunned’ by the decision.
The rumors of Sanders’ hiring started immediately, and when it came to fruition some three weeks later everyone basically said, ‘Now I get it.’
These moves beg the question, is hiring a celebrated former NFL player as a coach require that you embarrassingly dismiss your previous coach? As Hendrick said and I’m sure Reed knows, it’s a tough business.
The biggest question for George will be the same as it is for Sanders – can he win, not can he coach? Neither has much real coaching experience, certainly not on the HBCU level. And, celebrity does not equal wins. Ask the JSU faithful about how their much ballyhooed coach looks now after a 3-3 start to the season. It probably looks a lot like it would have looked with Hendrick at the helm. More than likely absent the ESPN coverage.
But certainly the mantra will be for both Sanders and George, ‘give him time.’ It’s obviously something that was not given to Hendrick.
For now, both TSU and JSU can bask in the limelight of bringing well-known NFL coaches into the fold. TSU will likely get a bump in coverage just as JSU is getting. Both will eventually be evaluated on whether they win. Reed was 60-69 at TSU in 11 seasons. Hendrick was 6-9 over his first 15 games.
Let’s see how George and Sanders do.