Tennessee State names Eddie George as new head football coach: report
NFL legend George will be replacing Rod Reed
Nashville Tennessean has confirmed that former NFL legend Eddie George has been chosen as the new football at Tennessee State University.
Rod Reed, who served as a coach for 11 seasons, notified his team on Saturday that Sunday’s game at Hale Stadium versus Southeast Missouri would be his last game. His official departure is on Monday, according to the outlet.
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George, 47, won the Heisman Trophy while attending Ohio State in 1995 and was the 14th overall pick in the 1996 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers.
A former running back for the Tennessee Titans from 1996 to 2003 before retiring in 2004, George doesn’t have extensive coaching experience. He has mentored various Titan players including Derrick Henry, who credits a heart-to-heart with George that contributed to his breakout season in 2018, according to ESPN.
His addition as coach brings hope for player recruitment and bringing more attention to the university.
Though he remained in Nashville after leaving the NFL, he began an acting career where he appeared on Broadway, served as a television football analyst, and started a landscape architecture and design company. In 2019, he was elected as a member of the Montgomery Bell Academy’s Board of Trustees.
Derrick Mason, George’s teammate from 1997-2004 with the Houston Oilers, expressed his surprise in George’s new venture.
“I’m surprised for sure, and I bet other people are as well. I never knew that Eddie wanted to coach period. It’s good for him, and I think it’s good for TSU,” Mason said. “I’m pretty sure that TSU did its due diligence in the hiring process and they’re hoping that Eddie can come in change the program around and get it headed in the right direction.”
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Rapper and entrepreneur Mekka Don shared his excitement for George and NFL legend Deion Sanders, who is currently the head coach at Jackson State, tweeting, “I’m legit hyped for these two brothers – bringing much needed hype to HBCU football. There’s a lot of talent there!”
Sports anchor Samaria Terry also echoed her excitement of a future battle between the athletes, tweeting, “So we’ll see Eddie George vs. Deion Sanders in the Southern Heritage Classic!”
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