Tennessee State Tigers fans are abuzz with word from The Stadium Network that former Tennessee Titans great Eddie George will be taking over as the head coach of the FCS program after the end of the spring season this year.
Stadium.com reporter Brett McMurphy broke the story Sunday afternoon, tweeting, “Former Tennessee Titans RB Eddie George will be new coach at Tennessee State, sources told @Stadium. TSU, currently coached by Rod Reed, plays Southeast Missouri today in final game of spring. George, who has no coaching experience, is 1st major hire by AD Mikki Allen”
Former Tennessee Titans RB Eddie George will be new coach at Tennessee State, sources told @Stadium. TSU, currently coached by Rod Reed, plays Southeast Missouri today in final game of spring. George, who has no coaching experience, is 1st major hire by AD Mikki Allen
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) April 11, 2021
CBS News picked up the story, reporting:
George, who has served as a mentor for players but has limited coaching experience, will take over for Rod Reed after the conclusion of the Tigers’ FCS spring season on Sunday. Reed has been coach of the Tigers since 2010, and held a 58-60 record heading into to the spring finale against Southeast Missouri, including a 2-4 record this season.
George played in Nashville for the Tennessee Titans from 1996 to 2003 after a Hall of Fame career as a Heisman Trophy-winner for Ohio State. His No. 27 has been retired by both the Buckeyes and the Titans, and while his post-playing careers as a business executive and actor have taken him on the road, he’s remained close to the Nashville community. Tennessee State hopes that George will be able to not only bring notoriety but success for a program that hasn’t won the Ohio Valley Conference since 1999 or qualified for the FCS Playoffs since 2013.
Speculation of additional coaching addition immediately began circulating.
KCOH’s Ralph Cooper tweeted, “There are reports Coach Hue Jackson will be part of Eddie George’s staff at Tennessee State University!”
There are reports
Coach Hue Jackson will be part
of Eddie George's staff at
Tennessee State University! pic.twitter.com/0lBINE0sMA— RALPH COOPER KCOH AM 1230 THE SOURCE 6PM-8PM M-F (@RalphSOFKCOH) April 11, 2021
TitansWire added:
This will be George’s first foray into coaching since he officially retired from the NFL back in 2006 following a sensational career with the Titans.
George spent eight seasons with the Oilers/Titans and was part of the only Titans team to make it to a Super Bowl when Tennessee lost to the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV.
The 47-year-old was voted to four Pro Bowls, was a First-Team All-Pro and was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1996. He had his number retired by the Titans back in 2019.
As of press time, The Tennessee State Tigers had no official statement about the new hire, although Eddie George himself posted on Facebook Sunday afternoon, “Go Tigers!”
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Photo “Eddie George” by Eddie George.
