The Tennessee State Tigers officially named Eddie George as the head football coach Tuesday, calling it “the right choice and investment” for the school and its football program.
“All I have done has prepared me for this moment, whether that’s my football career, my entrepreneurial endeavors, my acting career,” George said in a university statement.
“Coaching is a full commitment, a duty of service,” he said. “I take that seriously. I’ve done a lot of soul searching and due diligence. The more I thought about it, I got more and more excited about it. It was like picking up an old guitar or getting back on a bike, it’s familiar but in a different capacity.”
“For decades, TSU has always made bold and strategic hires within our athletic programs that laid the foundation for our storied success in sports,” said university president Glenda Glover, who made the initial call to gauge George’s interest. “Eddie George, with the resources he will bring to TSU, is the right choice and investment for the future of the TSU football program and the TSU community.”
George played for nine seasons in the NFL — eight of those with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans. He was a four-time Pro Bowl pick and made one Super Bowl appearance (the Titans lost to the St. Louis Rams 23-16).
“Eddie George has been a winner in every facet of the game and we look forward to him bringing that same commitment to our players and having it translate into winning on and off the field,” said athletics director Mikki Allen. “We are excited to have him join us and lead the next chapter of our storied football program.”
George is the latest in a line of former NFL players who have gone on to coach at historically Black colleges and universities. Deion Sanders is finishing his first season at Jackson State. Doug Williams coached at Grambling State. Ken Riley and Earl Holmes coached at Florida A&M, Stump Mitchell at Southern and Tyrone Wheatley at Morgan State, Steve Wilson at Howard, Sam Washington at North Carolina A&T and Monte Coleman at Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Said George: “It’s exciting. I’m going to be innovative, creative and fun.”