Bethune-Cookman Students Protest over Ed Reed's Exit from HC Contract Talks

After Ed Reed's exit as head football coach of Bethune-Cookman following a breakdown in contract negotiations, he still has the support of the university's student body.

Per WESH2 in Orlando, students engaged in a protest that "spilled out on to the street in front of campus" on Monday in favor of resuming contract talks with Reed, with many of them reportedly shouting "board of trustees has to go."

Nick Papantonis of WFTV reported that in addition to the student's displeasure with the university's handling of Reed's contract discussions, there are other issues they feel the school needs to address:

Bethune-Cookman hired Reed as head coach on Dec. 27. He replaced Terry Sims, who coached the Wildcats for seven seasons, including a 2-9 record in 2022 with a 2-6 record in the SWAC.

However, the Pro Football Hall of Famer lasted just 25 days in the position, as Bethune-Cookman chose not to ratify his contract. Prior to learning of the decision, Reed recorded a live stream in which he chastised the conditions of the school's athletic facilities. After his dismissal, he posted a fiery rant on Instagram, blasting the school's administration for not honoring their agreement.

"My vision is probably moving too fast for a lot of people," Reed said in the video. "I'm not withdrawing my name as they say. They don't want me here. They do not want me because I tell the truth. It hurts. This hurt because people don't care about these kids like I do, and they should be the ones leaving, not me, because I don't want to."

The 44-year-old later apologized for his criticism of the school's facilities and also expressed his disappointment to not be joining the school.

WESH noted that an online petition has been started by Bethune-Cookman students supporting Reed.