On Tuesday morning, former NFL runningback and Tennessee Titans legend, Eddie George, was officially introduced as the new head coach at Tennessee State University.
George replaces Rod Reed (58-61), who coached the Tigers for 11 seasons.
The 47-year old George rushed for 10,441 yards and 68 TDs during his NFL career with the Houston Oilers/Titans and Cowboys. After retiring in 2004, George remained in Tennesse and became a football analyst, an actor, and an entrepreneur.
When he got the call from university president Dr. Glenda Glover, George wasn’t sure what it was about. “He probably thought we were asking for money,” said Dr. Glover.
But when she and university athletic director, Dr. Mikki Allen, presented him with the idea, he went silent. It wasn’t even a notion to the former NFL star and he was almost poised to reject the offer. Then he spoke with his wife, Tamara (Taj from SWV), who told him simply “why not?”
That’s when the idea stuck in his head. A few weeks later, George accepted.
Today, he became the 22nd head coach in program history.
“I’d like to thank Dr. Allen, Dr. Glover for believing in me to do this job,” said George in today’s press conference. “I’m very excited about it.”
Dr. Allen, hired by Tennessee St. a year ago, wanted to rebuild a program that went 2-5 this past season, their first after the 2020 season was delayed by COVID-19. So he tabbed a local hero to make the splash they needed.
“When I took over this program a year ago, my priority was to make sure that with this TSU football program that we did the necessary things, and made the necessary decisions, to renew the standard of excellence of this historic program.
“Well today we take the first bold step towards accomplishing this goal.”
Allen saw not only the football talent and intelligence in George, but his dedication and commitment to mentoring and developing young men.
“This is not about me,” said George. “This is about something bigger than me.”
“Leadership and being a head coach is about service, and serving others,” continued George. “And I’m in a place in my life where I’m ready to do just that.”
Some might wonder how the Tigers could hire a head coach with no coaching experience. But Eddie George stands ready for the challenge. He mentioned how he took up acting and ended up on Broadway. How he went back to get his Master’s and is now running multiple businesses. So not having traditional experience in a field is something he’s prepared to tackle head-on.
George did his homework before making the commitment to the Tigers. He spoke with coaches like the Steelers’ Mike Tomlin and former Titans’ coach Jeff Fisher. He looked at the rich history of the program, which produced great athletes like Pro Football Hall of Famer, Richard Dent. That, coupled with his wife’s blessing, sealed the deal for him.
“I’m very aware, extremely aware, of the rich history here,” George said. “We have a lot of work to do. This is a day of excitement and I’m very proud to be a Tiger. Go Big Blue!”
So when does he start? The Tigers’ new head coach answered that question immediately and plainly.
“As soon as I get off this podium, it’s time to get busy.”
