TSU’s Rod Reed inks five-year extension

Rod Reed
Rod Reed

Tennessee State head football coach Rod Reed has signed a five-year extension on that will keep the Marshall, Texas native in Nashville until 2018.

“We are very pleased to be extending Coach Reed’s employment contract,” Athletics Director Teresa Phillips said. “He has brought TSU football back to where it had not been for the last 15 years and that is commendable. We’re looking for great things to come in the future, but we wanted to solidify our commitment to him and to the TSU football program.”

The Tigers are coming off of a 10-4 season and an appearance in the second round of the FCS Playoffs, the first postseason appearance for the team since 1999.

“I think that the extension is a credit to the accomplishments of our staff over the past two or three seasons,” Reed said. “I appreciate the commitment from the administration and it is good to know that we will have no worries other than keeping this football program at a championship level.”

Reed holds a 26-21 record over four years, including an 18-7 mark over the past two seasons. His teams have also increased their win totals by at least two games in each of the last three seasons.

The new deal includes a raise and will start during the 2014 season.

Reed has coached 19 All-Americans, and 15 in the past two seasons alone. Also, 42 Tigers have made All-OVC teams in Reed’s tenure, including a school record 12 in 2013.

The Tigers became the first HBCU team to win a playoff game since 1999 with their victory over Butler, allowing them to take home the Black College National Championship for the first time since 1982.

Reed and the rest of his staff will begin year one of the newly inked deal on Aug. 30 when Big Blue takes the field for the John Merritt Classic.

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