Eddie George is returning to college football. According to ESPN, the former Tennessee Titans star running back will be the new head coach at Tennessee State. He will replace Ron Reed who has been with the Tigers since 2010 and posted a 60-69 record. The school will announce George as the new head coach on Tuesday shortly after Reed’s departure.
“It was just hard to sustain it,” Reed said to the Tennessean. “We ran into some financial deals probably in 2014, 2015. There were some budget cuts. We haven’t had our kids in summer school the last five years. We haven’t really had a recruiting budget the last four or five years. We played with seven less scholarships; we haven’t had our full 63 scholarships. This was our first year that we had 63. When Dr. Allen got here and saw we did not have 63, we were able to provide 63 scholarships this year.” The Tigers just wrapped up their spring season and finished with a 2-5 record.
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George, 47, doesn’t have a lot of coaching experience, but the school is taking the same path as Jackson state who hired NFL legend, Deion Sanders, as their head coach last year. George retired from the NFL in 2004 and has stayed in the Nashville area. Since retiring, George has been acting, appearing in films and on Broadway. George has started building his coaching staff with the hiring of former NFL cornerback Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie.
The Titans drafted Georgia No. 14 overall out of Ohio State in 1996. In his first five seasons, George rushed for at least 1,2000 yards and reached the Pro Bowl five times. He was named Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1996 and named to the All-Pro First Team after rushing for 1,509 yards and 14 touchdowns. George was released from the Titans in 2004 before signing a one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys. He finished his career with 10,441 yards and 76 touchdowns. His No. 27 is retired by the Titans, and he was selected to the team’s Ring of Honor.
During his time at Ohio State, George became one of the best players in college football history. He won every major award in 1995 including the Heisman Trophy and was named a unanimous All-American. In his 1995 season, George rushed for 1,927 yards and 24 touchdowns.
