Tennessee State will reportedly become the latest FCS school to make a big splash with a celebrity coaching hire.
The Tigers are expected to hire former Ohio State and Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George as their new head football coach, according to multiple reports. TSU would follow the model of Jackson State, which hired Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders as head coach in September.
The 47-year-old George has never coached on any level. Since his playing career ended in 2004, he has worked as a radio and television analyst, owned his own landscaping business in Nashville and helped with former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen’s physical fitness initiatives.
George won the 1995 Heisman Trophy at Ohio State, then spent nine seasons in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans and Dallas Cowboys. He rushed for 10,441 yards and 68 touchdowns in his career, and is a member of the Titans’ Ring of Honor and the College Football Hall of Fame.
Tennessee State finished its 2021 spring season on Sunday at 2-5 with a loss to Southeast Missouri. Rod Reed, the Tigers’ coach since 2010, is retiring.
Though Tennessee State has not yet officially announced he’s been hired, George is already reporting moving forward on putting together a staff. Among those mentioned for positions with the Tigers are former NFL head coach Jeff Fisher (George’s coach with the Titans), former NFL defensive back Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (a Tennessee State alum) and former Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson.
Jackson State is 3-3 with two games remaining in its spring season under Sanders, who also had no college coaching experience when he was hired. However, Sanders had long been a high school and youth football coach in the Dallas area before moving into the college game.
Sanders’ results on the field have been mixed, but he’s made an immediate impact in recruiting. Jackson State has signed a number of Division I transfers since Sanders’ arrival, including wide receivers Isaiah Bolden (Florida State) and Corey Reed (Louisville), offensive lineman Dylan Spencer (Missouri), defensive lineman Coynis Miller (Auburn) and cornerback Javorrius Selmon (Mississippi State).
Sanders has also signed two of his sons, quarterback Shedeur and cornerback Shilo. Shedeur Sanders is a four-star Class of 2021 recruit who was previously committed to Florida Atlantic, while Shilo transferred from South Carolina.
Sanders congratulated George on his apparent new job: