Yahoo Finance Hall of Famer Ed Reed returning to Miami as Manny Diaz's Chief of Staff
Ed Reed is returning to The U.
Miami head coach Manny Diaz announced Thursday that he has hired Reed, a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee who starred at Miami from 1997 to 2001, as his Chief of Staff. In that role, Reed will be an adviser for Diaz, assisting the head coach with “strategic planning, quality control, operations, player evaluation and player development.”
Reed will also have a role in team building, student-athlete mentorship and recruiting, the school said in a press release.
“We are thrilled to welcome Ed back to Coral Gables,” Diaz said. “He is not only one of the most decorated players in Miami football history but also a devoted Cane who cares deeply about this program. All of our players, coaches and staff will be fortunate to tap into his experience, knowledge and passion on a regular basis.”
Reed helped Miami win national title in 2001
Reed redshirted his first season at Miami before quickly emerging as a star at strong safety. In his 45 games with the Hurricanes, Reed amassed 288 tackles, 52 passes defended and 21 interceptions. Reed’s nine interceptions in 2001 led the nation, helping him earn co-Big East Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Reed, who holds the school record for career interceptions and interception return yards (389), was also a consensus first-team All-American in 2000 and 2001.
In 2001, Reed helped Miami go undefeated and win its fifth national championship. The season was capped off by a 37-14 victory over Nebraska in the BCS National Championship.
His name hangs in our rafters.
His picture hangs on our walls.
Now, his office is in our building. pic.twitter.com/B4H3mqB59v— Canes Football (@CanesFootball) January 30, 2020
NFL Hall of Famer with Baltimore Ravens
From there, Reed was selected No. 24 overall by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2002 NFL draft. Reed spent 11 seasons with the Ravens, earning nine Pro Bowl and five first-team All-Pro selections. He also won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2004 and helped the Ravens win Super Bowl XLVII over the San Francisco 49ers in 2013.
Reed, the Ravens’ all-time leader in interceptions (61), interception return yards (1,541), interceptions returned for touchdowns (7) and passes defended (135), became a free agent after the Super Bowl season and ended up playing his final year of football with the Houston Texans and New York Jets. He spent the 2014 campaign out of football before officially announcing his retirement in 2015.
Reed, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in August, spent the 2016 season as an assistant defensive backs coach for the Buffalo Bills under Rex Ryan.
Miami went 6-7 in Diaz’s first season
Meanwhile, Miami is a program striving to return to relevance in college football. The Hurricanes went 6-7 in 2019, Diaz’s first season as head coach. That season was capped off by a miserable 14-0 loss to Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl — a far cry from the glory days when Reed was playing in Coral Gables.
In the weeks since, Diaz fired offensive coordinator Dan Enos, brought in Rhett Lashlee from SMU and recruited graduate transfer quarterback D’Eriq King from Houston. Miami’s quarterback play has been horrific in recent years, and Diaz is hoping King — who had a huge season in 2018 — can help the Hurricanes inch up the standings in the ACC.
Diaz is hoping guidance from a legend like Reed will help out, too.
More from Yahoo Sports:
