Bethune-Cookman’s administration is looking to turn the corner from Ed Reed, and it is hoping the football team is on-board with its moves.
B-CU recently held a town hall in which the school addressed its path forward with the football team. Interim president Lawrence M. Drake spoke directly with the student-athletes, along as several former Bethune-Cookman players who went on to play in the NFL as well as a legendary head coach.
Drake reiterated to the team that the administration has decided to move away from Ed Reed, and promised that the team would have a new coach in 7-10 days. He also told them they would have a voice – or voices – in the room with the decision-makers.
“We have a couple of really great candidates who is coming to campus. Of which, a couple of you, will be able to interview as well,” Drake told the program in a video posted by B-CU. “It’s the first time we’ve ever done that, but I want players or at least a couple of players to be able to talk to their colleagues, they’re teammates about what it means to hire a coach. What that means.”
Players voiced concerns over nutrition, helmet and cleat sharing, training, adequate locker rooms and showers, and the need for a quality training facility.
“I didn’t know about sharing helmets. I didn’t know about the mold on helmets. I didn’t know about the sharing of cleats. I did
Bethune-Cookman AD Reggie Theus promised student-athletes that improvements were coming, including an on-campus practice field and “stadium locker rooms.”
“They are putting $3 million dollars into the stadium locker rooms. They are going to re-do the entire stadium locker rooms”
Former B-CU star Rashean Mathis was one of several former NFL players who spoke directly to student-athletes, asking them to work with the administration to make Bethune-Cookman better moving forward.
“Everything that was, is not what’s gonna to be. That’s what we need y’all to understand,” Mathis told the students. “That what was, is not going to be. So what Doc was saying, he needs something from y’all. Just like y’all need something from him. He needs something from y’all, so commit yourselves.”