MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 23: HOF Safety and former Miami Hurricane Ed Redd attends the game between the Miami Hurricanes and the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Hard Rock Stadium on October 23, 2021 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mark …
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - HBCU sports fans are calling Bethune-Cookman University's hiring of Ed Reed the biggest and most important decision in the football program's history.
After a rocky transition to the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), they are ready to get back to winning and feel this is a step in the right direction.
"Words just don’t describe how amazing it is. It comes at a time when the school really needs some positive news," Hailwildcats.com contributor, Stephen Holmes told FOX 35.
BCU announced on Tuesday that Pro Football Hall of Famer and University of Miami great, Ed Reed is the program's newest head football coach.
Reed is the lathes high profile athlete to join the HBCU football ranks – following the likes of Deion Sanders, who led Jackson State from 2020-2022 season, before leaving for Colorado.
"Coming after a Coach Prime, people had so much to compare. Like oh, it’s not a Coach Prime, he doesn’t have the same mouthpiece. Instead of just looking at him as the coach that he can be," The Black College Experience founder and reporter, Keisha J. Kelley said.
Reed spent time as an assistant coach with the Buffalo Bills, and the past three seasons as Miami's Chief of Staff.
But this will be his first head coaching job.
The Wildcats only won four games the past two seasons since joining the SWAC.
BCU fans are hopeful about this hire.
"He doesn’t have to come in and be world beaters next year. He can come in and win six or seven games, and he’s going to have the hearts of every Wildcat," Holmes said.
"When you see this kind of talent come in to coach, it’s very exciting. Is it a trend? It could be. But the thing is, we’ve got to take the good with the bad. We can’t ask for high caliber coaches, then get high caliber coaches and get mad." Kelley added.
The Ed Reed hire is bigger than football. It'll mean a lot to have him on campus and interacting with players and students.