HBCU Football: Tennessee State makes waves with Eddie George hire

Per Bret McMurphy of Stadium and confirmed by the Tennessean, former Tennessee Titans legend Eddie George is the new head coach of the Tennessee State Tigers. George takes over for Rod Reed, who told the team that their game against Southeast Missouri would be his last with the Tigers.

Reed was with Tennessee State for eleven years. George does not have any coaching experience of note but is a big name in Nashville, playing for the Titans for eight seasons. Tennessee State athletic director Dr. Mikki Howard hopes George raises the profile for Tennessee State.

In addition to being a legend in Nashville leading the Titans to their only Super Bowl, George won the 1995 Heisman Trophy at The Ohio State University. Since retirement, George has remained connected to the Nashville community as a businessman while performing on Broadway and in films.

The Deion Sanders factor

It is no secret that current Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders has raised the profile of Jackson State. It has played on ESPN twice this season, a first in program history. Sanders has been able to recruit at a high level, getting four-star players to flip from Florida State and Georgia. Sanders’ two sons — both four-star recruits — join him in Jackson this fall.

Dr. Howard hopes that George can do a similar thing for TSU. By all accounts, fundraising is up in Jackson, and excitement around a program has been one of the most supported programs in FCS. Tennessee State does not boast such support, which is possibly why Howard tapped a local legend like George.

Dr. Howard came to Nashville with a reputation as a fundraiser. If TSU wants to compete in the Ohio Valley Conference, one of the more challenging conferences in FCS, they need the facilities to attract the best recruits at the FCS level.

The one difference that stands out, however, between Sanders and George is coaching experience. Coaching circles had known that Sanders wanted to coach at the collegiate level for years. Sanders had been linked to the Florida State coaching job when it was open. Before taking the job at Jackson State, Sanders had been both a head coach and offensive coordinator at high schools in Florida and Texas.

George has no such experience. The closest George has come to coaching is mentoring Titans running back Derek Henry. However, George knows the game and has two former NFL players, Antonio Rodgers Cromartie and Peerless Price, on the staff if he chooses to retain him. Time will tell if this splashy move will work at Tennessee State.