College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ed Reed is set to be hired as Bethune-Cookman‘s next football coach, the school announced Tuesday.
Reed, a legend at the University of Miami and with the NFL’s Ravens, has served as the Hurricanes’ chief of staff since January 2020. Now, he’ll be at the helm as the 16th football coach in Bethune-Cookman history, tasked with turning around a struggling SWAC program.
Reed played at Miami from 1998 to 2001, amassing 21 interceptions in four years. He led the nation with nine picks as a senior. His efforts helped the Hurricanes win the BCS national championship with a victory over Nebraska in the Rose Bowl.
He was selected No. 24 by the Ravens in the 2002 NFL draft. He earned nine Pro Bowl selections in 11 seasons with Baltimore before splitting the 2013 season with the Texans and Jets. His career included a Super Bowl win in the 2012 season, a 2000s All-Decade team selection and finally, an induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in ’19.
Reed now will take over an HBCU program coming off back-to-back 2–9 seasons in 2021 and ’22. Former coach Terry Sims was fired in November after seven seasons. Reed will look to rebuild the program at Bethune-Cookman, which last had a winning season in ’19 (7–4) as a member of the MEAC.
