Deion Sanders wanted Ed Reed to be the next head football coach at Jackson State when he left for Colorado last December. Reed ended up pursuing a different opportunity that did not end well.
Now, one full year later, the 45-year-old Pro Football Hall of Famer has his eye on another HBCU job.
According to HBCU Sports, Reed is interested in replacing Hue Jackson at Grambling State in Louisiana. He was actually offered what ultimately became Jackson’s job in late 2021 but turned down a “comprehensive package” because of obligations at the University of Miami.
The timing was not right then. Ed Reed believes it is right now. He would take the same offer today.
However, it is unclear as to whether the Tigers are willing to give him another chance!
Starting quarterback Myles Crawley will have a big voice in the search process. NFL legend Doug Williams will serve as an advisor. Grambling may not want to go with an unproven coach like Reed over someone with a history of success.
Ed Reed could be at Jackson State.
Coach Prime wanted Reed to replace him in Mississippi. The latter said as much during a recent conversation with Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder on The Pivot Podcast!
I talked to [Deion Sanders] before that because he was like “I want you to go to Jackson State. I want to give this to you and nobody else.”
— Ed Reed, via The Pivot Podcast
Bethune-Cookman called Reed one day prior to his call from Deion Sanders. At that point, he was already leaning toward the job in Florida.
He’s like, “I want to give this to you man. I can’t think of nobody else who love them kids like this.”
— Ed Reed, via The Pivot Podcast
The former five-time First-Team All-Pro claims that he even sat down with Jackson State athletic director Ashely Robinson to discuss the job. It sounds like it was his job to turn down.
In the end, that is exactly what he did. Reed chose to go rebuild the program at Bethune-Cookman instead of inheriting a mostly rebuilt program at Jackson State.
I was like, I gotta go visit there too. I went to visit BCU, and I’m leaning to BCU because — if it’s about the culture, our culture — why not help the other one get up?
That’s why I chose BCU over Jackson State.
Ashley and them — the bells and whistles was there. I was just like, let’s build up another brother, sister HBCU while we’re here.
— Ed Reed, via The Pivot Podcast
While Reed’s intentions were admirable, his time at the school did not last long. Bethune-Cookman ultimately rescinded his offer after multiple expletive-laced rants regarding the condition of the campus.