Ravens Legend Linked to HBCU Coaching Job

A Baltimore Ravens icon could make his return to the sidelines.

Jan 28, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Former Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed looks on from the sidelines prior to the Ravens' game against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship football game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Former NFL stars becoming college head coaches is all the rage these days, with Deion Sanders setting a trend that Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson and others are following. Now, a Baltimore Ravens icon could be the latest to join the club.

According to John Brice of Football Scoop, legendary Ravens safety Ed Reed is a finalist for the Alabama A&M Bulldogs' head coaching vacancy. Alabama A&M is an HBCU and a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).

Reed, 46, has dabbled in coaching since he hung up his cleats almost a decade ago. He served as the Buffalo Bills' assistant defensive backs coach in 2016 and worked with the Miami Hurricanes, his college team, in multiple roles, first as a chief of staff (2020-21) and then as a senior football advisor (2022).

In December of 2022, Reed was hired as the head coach of the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats. Less than a month later, though, the Florida-based HBCU declined to ratify the contract, and the two sides went their separate ways. Reed was publicly critical of the condition of the school's athletic facilites during this saga.

The Bulldogs went 6-6 this season and parted ways with head coach Connell Maynor, who had a 40-32 record in seven seasons at the helm. Unfortunately, their season was marred by horrible tragedy, as linebacker Medrick Burnett Jr. passed away at the age of 20 on Nov. 29. Burnett suffered a head injury in a game against rival Alabama State a month earlier.

Brice adds that the other finalist for the Alabama A&M job is former Alcorn State player and coach Fred McNair, brother of late former Ravens quarterback Steve McNair.

Reed, of course, will always be a legend in Baltimore, spending 11 seasons with the Ravens and becoming one of the greatest safeties in NFL history. Now, he has a chance to grow his legend elsewhere.

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