The Ed Reed and Bethune-Cookman Entanglement Worsens
The Ed Reed and Bethune-Cookman entanglement worsens. We are witnessing a need for institutional leadership at the prestigious university in all phases.
Nov 3, 2019; Baltimore, MD, USA; Former Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed looks on during the second quarter against the New England Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports
Tonight on Roland Martin's show, Reed displayed more powerful emotions saying, "I turned down the Jackson State job to come here, Roland Martin. Deion Sanders called me himself." Reed continued and mentioned Grambling, in the past, offered him a position as head coach.
Today, the B-CU student-athletes and students protested in favor of reinstating Reed as the head football coach.
This weekend, Reed announced that Bethune-Cookman decided against ratifying his contract as negotiations broke down with his legal team.
He met with the football team, parents, and staff, informing them of the university's decision.
Again, Reed's speech became emotionally charged. At one point, he video-called Deion Sanders, telling Reed that you have to "walk away."
Reed doesn't want to give up.
He's tenaciously clinging by a thread to the hope that the powers at Bethune-Cookman would grant a reprieve and reinstate him as head coach. If so, it would be a remarkable development.
Several unanswered points have yet to be addressed by Bethune-Cookman leadership.
- Why would Reed be allowed to function as the head coach, an institution employee, without an official contract?
- Were recruits in contact with Reed? Did NCAA recruiting violations occur?
- Why did it take a week after Reed disclosed he did not have an official contract for either the interim president or athletic director Reggie Theus to address Reed's contract and status with the institution?
- Were Southwestern Athletic Conference officials involved at any point?
- Would any of the recruits and players be negatively impacted by the fallout?
Someone behind the scenes is the Puppet Master orchestrating this debacle. Who? We'll never truly know. For now, Bethune-Cookman students, alumni, and family could only hope for a reasonable resolution. In the short term, it's not good for HBCUs, Bethune-Cookman, Ed Reed, and the fans to watch this entanglement spiral out of control.