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The Miami Hurricanes certainly made a splash hire last week when they brought NFL and College Football Hall of Famer Ed Reed back into the program in the Chief of Staff role. For his part, Reed was ecstatic to return to the school where he first put his name on the map.
"Man, what a journey,” Reed said. “Glad to be back. I’m excited, excited for our University, for the opportunity that came from Manny (Diaz) and Blake (James) and Jenn (Strawley). Got the phone call a few weeks ago that they were looking into filling a position to help the University get back to where our standards are met here in Miami. I know our standards are high, it’s just a matter of us working together as a team and doing things a team does. I’m excited.”
After the Canes slumped to a 6-7 record in 2019, Reed felt he could offer the program a unique perspective on the long road to fixing some of the issues that have plagued the Canes over the years.
“I’m always orange and green, man,” Reed said. “That’s in my heart, in my blood. Once you become a part of this University you want to do anything and everything for it.
“We didn’t like what we saw (last year), nobody accepted that. But that’s last year. We went 5-6 my first season here, then came back and had a great year, and years later won the national championship. It’s a process, man, we have a process going on. And part of that is me figuring out what’s needed to fulfill that standard that we have here.”
According to the University’s description of the position, Reed will serve in an advisory role to Diaz in all aspects of the football program, including strategic planning, quality control, operations, player evaluation and player development. Reed will also provide assistance in team building, student-athlete mentorship and recruiting, as permissible under NCAA rules.
"I’ve been talking to a lot of people - I’m not hiring, not firing, I’m coming to help,” Reed said. “Like in 1997, I’m a piece of the puzzle and let’s see how we fit.”
Of his typical work week at UM, Reed says he won’t be on campus every day, but aims to be involved as much as his schedule allows. As for recruiting, Reed is only allowed to interact with recruits over the phone or if they are on campus.
"[Diaz] told me ‘I don't want you to stop doing the things you do, but would love for you to be around as much as possible’,” Reed said. "I won't be here 365, but when I'm not doing other things I have to do, my priority is Miami.
"I'm limited in what I can do, I can't be on the field coaching, I am here to mentor these kids. I'm here to assist coach Manny in everything he needs. I'm his right hand - it's whatever he needs, man, whatever these coaches need. I'm here for them."
A leader and star safety for Miami’s 2001 national championship team, Reed remains UM's all-time leader in career interceptions with 21. After 9 Pro Bowl seasons in the NFL, Reed retired from football following the 2013 season and has continued to stay active in the sport.
“I’ve become a Hall of Famer on every level, that has helped me become a role model for a lot of kids,” Reed said. “We have to set a great example for the youth… I actually had a job right after I retired, I coached in Buffalo for a year, I was coaching when I was in my last year with the Jets, same as a player. I worked as an analyst for the last five years, still have that job. There are some things you’ll see around, being here, being away, because that’s how the dynamics of the job are for me. I have an 11-year old, coach his flag football team and mentor guys in the NFL. I’ve been working, you have to work. As a father you understand that, coaches that have kids understand that our kids need to see great examples, our kids need to be putting in work as youth because you’re raising them to be young men and young women.
“Everyone talks about the 2001 national championship team, but no one talks about the coaches - they were raising young men.”
Reed also had a take on the newly signed Avantae Williams, who he had a chance to coach at the Under Armour All-American Game last month.
"I was his coach for a week. The kid dislocated his finger, thought it was broken, was screaming,” Reed said. “Reggie (Wayne) went over there and showed him his fingers, `Oh, snap’… He's young, needs guidance, help with his technique. But definitely happy he chose the U, chose to come here."
Much has changed on the Miami campus since Reed left UM after the 2001 season, and he sees it as an advantage for the younger generation of athletes.
"Man, this place is huge, like a maze now," Reed said. "It's grown so much. The weight room is a lot bigger. These kids have a game room, their own area we didn't have. Not as plush, fancy (when I was here). Definitely gives you those chills when you walk through here, knowing we were part of the rebuilding of this building, excited for these kids to have more resources than we did to achieve."
Every regime that’s had success at Miami has strategized on how to keep the top South Florida prospects home, and that’s something Reed sees as massively important.
"That's huge, it's powerful when you can play at home and do things in your community - people know you," Reed said. "That's key to get as many Miami guys, Florida athletes as we can, but there's also kids all across the country. Of course, we want the best, but we want the ones that will compete and do the right things."
Another key to organizational success for Reed? Surrounding yourself with the right people and culture.
"I just think we need to be preparing them not just for football, but for life," Reed said. "These parents are sending their kids to us to raise them, to take over for them on what they've already built. Every kid is not going to make it to the NFL, I can promise you that. But like my senior class, once we bought into it, we were trying to get our point across to all the players as leaders of this team that if we work together, all of us will have a chance at success.
"My first year 5-6, second year 8-3, we got better as we went. But the better we got, the more opportunity for these kids as a group, as a whole, was presented. You look at the people who I was surrounded by, we surrounded each other with such greatness."
The bottom line for Reed?
"I'm excited about having this gig," Reed said. "There isn't anything any Cane wouldn't do for this University. ... I think we're in the right direction. I think coach (Mark) Richt laid a great foundation down, Manny has the right mindset to do things. Look, we have to block out the outside and deal with what you have on the inside.
"If you don't want to work, don't come here. If you don't want to compete, don't come here. No quitting when you come here... Because when it's all over, the real world will hit you like a ton of bricks, you know? You have to have your job, pay your bills. And that's what we're here to teach, teach these young men there's life after this... Our mission here at Miami is to transform lives. Let's get to that."
"Man, what a journey,” Reed said. “Glad to be back. I’m excited, excited for our University, for the opportunity that came from Manny (Diaz) and Blake (James) and Jenn (Strawley). Got the phone call a few weeks ago that they were looking into filling a position to help the University get back to where our standards are met here in Miami. I know our standards are high, it’s just a matter of us working together as a team and doing things a team does. I’m excited.”
After the Canes slumped to a 6-7 record in 2019, Reed felt he could offer the program a unique perspective on the long road to fixing some of the issues that have plagued the Canes over the years.
“I’m always orange and green, man,” Reed said. “That’s in my heart, in my blood. Once you become a part of this University you want to do anything and everything for it.
“We didn’t like what we saw (last year), nobody accepted that. But that’s last year. We went 5-6 my first season here, then came back and had a great year, and years later won the national championship. It’s a process, man, we have a process going on. And part of that is me figuring out what’s needed to fulfill that standard that we have here.”
According to the University’s description of the position, Reed will serve in an advisory role to Diaz in all aspects of the football program, including strategic planning, quality control, operations, player evaluation and player development. Reed will also provide assistance in team building, student-athlete mentorship and recruiting, as permissible under NCAA rules.
"I’ve been talking to a lot of people - I’m not hiring, not firing, I’m coming to help,” Reed said. “Like in 1997, I’m a piece of the puzzle and let’s see how we fit.”
Of his typical work week at UM, Reed says he won’t be on campus every day, but aims to be involved as much as his schedule allows. As for recruiting, Reed is only allowed to interact with recruits over the phone or if they are on campus.
"[Diaz] told me ‘I don't want you to stop doing the things you do, but would love for you to be around as much as possible’,” Reed said. "I won't be here 365, but when I'm not doing other things I have to do, my priority is Miami.
"I'm limited in what I can do, I can't be on the field coaching, I am here to mentor these kids. I'm here to assist coach Manny in everything he needs. I'm his right hand - it's whatever he needs, man, whatever these coaches need. I'm here for them."
A leader and star safety for Miami’s 2001 national championship team, Reed remains UM's all-time leader in career interceptions with 21. After 9 Pro Bowl seasons in the NFL, Reed retired from football following the 2013 season and has continued to stay active in the sport.
“I’ve become a Hall of Famer on every level, that has helped me become a role model for a lot of kids,” Reed said. “We have to set a great example for the youth… I actually had a job right after I retired, I coached in Buffalo for a year, I was coaching when I was in my last year with the Jets, same as a player. I worked as an analyst for the last five years, still have that job. There are some things you’ll see around, being here, being away, because that’s how the dynamics of the job are for me. I have an 11-year old, coach his flag football team and mentor guys in the NFL. I’ve been working, you have to work. As a father you understand that, coaches that have kids understand that our kids need to see great examples, our kids need to be putting in work as youth because you’re raising them to be young men and young women.
“Everyone talks about the 2001 national championship team, but no one talks about the coaches - they were raising young men.”
Reed also had a take on the newly signed Avantae Williams, who he had a chance to coach at the Under Armour All-American Game last month.
"I was his coach for a week. The kid dislocated his finger, thought it was broken, was screaming,” Reed said. “Reggie (Wayne) went over there and showed him his fingers, `Oh, snap’… He's young, needs guidance, help with his technique. But definitely happy he chose the U, chose to come here."
Much has changed on the Miami campus since Reed left UM after the 2001 season, and he sees it as an advantage for the younger generation of athletes.
"Man, this place is huge, like a maze now," Reed said. "It's grown so much. The weight room is a lot bigger. These kids have a game room, their own area we didn't have. Not as plush, fancy (when I was here). Definitely gives you those chills when you walk through here, knowing we were part of the rebuilding of this building, excited for these kids to have more resources than we did to achieve."
Every regime that’s had success at Miami has strategized on how to keep the top South Florida prospects home, and that’s something Reed sees as massively important.
"That's huge, it's powerful when you can play at home and do things in your community - people know you," Reed said. "That's key to get as many Miami guys, Florida athletes as we can, but there's also kids all across the country. Of course, we want the best, but we want the ones that will compete and do the right things."
Another key to organizational success for Reed? Surrounding yourself with the right people and culture.
"I just think we need to be preparing them not just for football, but for life," Reed said. "These parents are sending their kids to us to raise them, to take over for them on what they've already built. Every kid is not going to make it to the NFL, I can promise you that. But like my senior class, once we bought into it, we were trying to get our point across to all the players as leaders of this team that if we work together, all of us will have a chance at success.
"My first year 5-6, second year 8-3, we got better as we went. But the better we got, the more opportunity for these kids as a group, as a whole, was presented. You look at the people who I was surrounded by, we surrounded each other with such greatness."
The bottom line for Reed?
"I'm excited about having this gig," Reed said. "There isn't anything any Cane wouldn't do for this University. ... I think we're in the right direction. I think coach (Mark) Richt laid a great foundation down, Manny has the right mindset to do things. Look, we have to block out the outside and deal with what you have on the inside.
"If you don't want to work, don't come here. If you don't want to compete, don't come here. No quitting when you come here... Because when it's all over, the real world will hit you like a ton of bricks, you know? You have to have your job, pay your bills. And that's what we're here to teach, teach these young men there's life after this... Our mission here at Miami is to transform lives. Let's get to that."
