For Tennessee State football, it’s back to the drawing board after Eddie George accepted the head coach position at Bowling Green.
George, the former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL running back, was successful at TSU. Last season, he guided the Tigers to a share of the OVC-Big South title and a trip to the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2013.
Now, the question is, who will replace George and keep the Tigers momentum going as one of Black College Football’s top programs?
There are two good answers to that question.
One has a proven track record and a name that stands as one of the most admired and respected in HBCU football circles.
The other is a coach who just finished his tenure at a program that didn’t win before him but certainly won while he was coaching it.
Let’s start with the known commodity – Fred McNair.
McNair’s record at his alma mater, Alcorn State, was 48-33 in seven seasons, including two SWAC championships and Celebration Bowl appearances. McNair walked away from his dream job, citing promises that the administration couldn’t or wouldn’t keep.
He was considered a heavy favorite for the Texas Southern job before that school’s board of regents reversed course and hired former NFL defensive back Cris Dishman.
McNair was a part of another SWAC West championship team this season as the tight ends coach at Southern.
McNair would be a perfect fit for TSU as he’s one of the signature coaches in Black College Football. He wins on the field and molds young men off the field.
The only drawback would be if McNair would accept the job knowing what Tennessee State’s financial struggles are.
That elephant in the room played a major role in George’s departure. As McNair left Alcorn for similar reasons, there’s no guarantee that he would want to take on another program that can’t provide everything needed to become or continue to be successful.
The other standout candidate who deserves a chance to run a major HBCU football program is Bobby Rome II.
Rome was unceremoniously dismissed by Florida Memorial after leading the team to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since the school restarted football after a 62-year absence. Rome’s exciting brand of up-tempo football got results as several players under his watch played in the HBCU Legacy Bowl.
Rome is also a younger coach—he won’t turn 40 for another year or so. He has extensive Black College coaching experience, having previously coached at Virginia-Lynchburg and Central State before turning FMU into a solid program.
Rome might not be a name-brand coach like McNair or George, but it’s clear the man can coach.
If TSU wants to take a chance on someone who could keep their program near the top of the OVC-Big South and have him around for years to come, he would be a great choice.
Tennessee State athletic director Mikki Allen has always been about doing what’s best for Tennessee State athletics, so whoever he chooses, he’ll likely have a good reason for doing so.
But if he wants to make success easy on himself, the football program, and the Tennessee State community, he should choose either McNair or Rome.