Ed Reed vs. Bethune Cookman Saga

On December 27th, Bethune Cookman University announced Ed Reed as their head football coach. However, after a social media outburst, the Hall of Fame inductee, announced on January 21st that he will no longer be the head coach at Bethune-Cookman. Reed tweeted a statement that said, “After weeks of negotiations I’ve been informed that the University won’t be ratifying my contract and won’t make good on the agreement we had in principle, which had provisions and resources best needed to support the student-athletes.” Reed also added, “I was committed to coaching and cultivating a relationship with the university, players, community, and the fans. It’s extremely disappointing this won’t be happening.” Reed held a meeting with the players and parents that lasted about 15 minutes. He shared his frustration with the university and the modifications they are not willing to make so that Reed could continue coaching for the school.
The denial of ratification of Reed’s contract came after he posted a derogatory statement towards Bethune-Cookman after he arrived and his office was not cleaned properly. Reed would later go on to apologize for the profanity he used in the post, but Bethune-Cookman would go on to release its own statement regarding the matter and decided to not proceed with contract negotiations.
“While we appreciate the initial interest in our football program displayed by Mr. Reed during the course of recent weeks, we are also mindful of the qualities and attributes that must be exhibited by our institutional personnel during what has been uniquely challenging times for our campus as we recover from the impact of two hurricanes during this past fall semester,” in a statement issued by the school.
This came as a shocker to most people in the African-American community after the success that Deion Sanders had with Jackson State this past fall. Many were hoping that Ed Reed would continue the uprising of HBCUs, but this time it did not work out in his favor. However, there is a mixed bag of opinions on this situation not all details have been released. One act doesn’t define a person, so I can’t say Ed Reed is a bad person. Sanders showed sympathy and love to Ed who was his teammate in Baltimore at one point in their respective careers. “I know you do not want to leave those kids,” Sanders said towards Reed. “Sometimes in life, you got to walk away.”