Former NFL star and Miami legend Ed Reed left Bethune-Cookman just 25 days after being hired to lead the football program at the historically black college in Daytona Beach, Florida. ) coach.Reed made the announcement in a statement twitter post On Saturday, his foundation explained how the rupture between him and the Bethune-Cookman administration came about.
“Bethune Cookman University has been working with my legal team to draft the terms of the contract with the language and resources we know it needs to build a successful football program,” the statement read. “I wanted not only to coach football, but to be an agent of change that most people just talk about. However, after weeks of negotiations, I was told that the university would not approve my contract or honor the agreement we had in principle, It contains the provisions and resources needed to support student-athletes most.
“I’m committed to coaching and cultivating relationships with the college, the players, the community and the fans,” he continued. “It’s not going to happen, which is very disappointing.”
earlier this week, Reed apologizes For the vulgar rants about Bethune-Cookman program resources that have surfaced on social media. In his apology, he said his “language and tone as a father, coach and leader were unacceptable.”
Ultimately, the relationship between Reed and Bethune-Cookman seemed beyond repair. Reed, 44, was hired Dec. 27, he’s been in an off-field role on Miami’s staff for the past three seasons. Reid replaces Terry Sims, who was fired in November after seven seasons, and his arrival is just the latest jolt of HBCU football’s superstar following Deion Sanders’ tenure at Jackson State.
The split between Reed and Bethune-Cookman only highlights the huge disparity in investment, facilities and overall resources between the HBCU football program and the FBS program. The Miami project, which Reid attends and works on, unveiled plans in December for a 162,000-square-meter football operations center that will cost more than $100 million.
The cost of the facility alone is several times greater than Bethune-Cookman’s annual athletics department budget, which is reportedly around $15 million. Football programs have also experienced cutbacks in recent years, according to HBCU Gameday.
“While we are unable to carry out our work at BCU, the goals and mission remain the same,” read a statement from the Reed Foundation. “We serve leadership – leadership serves. We will continue our pillar [of] Respect, educate, empower, dream. Our efforts continue to serve children through our foundation through our health and wellness programs, camps and fundraisers. We won’t stop making life better, as we’ve been doing for over 20 years! “
