Spring practice is right around the corner, but the Bowling Green Falcons have a new head coach. That is right. Former Tennessee State Tigers head coach and football legend Eddie George is taking over for Scot Loeffler at this traditional power in the MAC. Loeffler left Bowling Green after six so-so seasons to become the quarterbacks coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. It has become a new trend.
Just last offseason we saw Bill O'Brien take over for Jeff Hafley at Boston College late in the process. It was practically spring time when Dell McGee left for Georgia State to take over for Shawn Elliott. George admitted the timing to leave Tennessee State for Bowling Green was not ideal, but the opportunity for the 1995 Heisman Trophy winner out of Ohio State was simply too good to pass up.
George said how much of "a whirlwind" it was for him in the week leading up to him getting the job.
"It feels like a whirlwind. Last week felt like a whole month in terms of the interviews and the process. This is not going to be an easy process. We still have a lot of work to do to get across the finish line."
He then mentioned that when he took over at Tennessee State it was during the springtime as well.
"I wouldn't say it's great timing. But when I took over at Tennessee State, it was in the spring, ironically. It took us some time to get there, but we got there. I think now the goal is how do we get to September? It's going to take diligence for us to be focused, operate with a great attitude and be intentional."
He finished by saying that he is not going to "blow up" what Bowling Green is, but rather "enhance it."
"We don't stray away from what made this program successful. I'm not here to blow it up. I'm here to enhance it."
This is terrific news for not only the Bowling Green program, but the MAC and Group of Five as well.
Eddie George amplifies all Bowling Green can do as a football program
Some people know George from his Heisman run at Ohio State some 30 years ago, but most remember him for being one of the greatest players in Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans history. In his prime, he was one of the best running backs of his era, helping Tennessee reach its only Super Bowl to date in 1999. From playing football, to acting, to coaching, to getting his MBA, what can't he do?
We may now live in a world where football stars from yesteryear like George, Deion Sanders, Trent Dilfer, Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson now lead college football teams. As long as they are about the kids and instilling great values into young men, then I have no problem with it. Where I think George can make a huge difference is in personal discipline. This is how he became an all-time great.
As far as what this means to Bowling Green, George's arrival could hasten the Falcons' rebuilding process. They are losing so much off Loeffler's team to the NFL and graduation. From a recruiting standpoint, how can you not sell a Heisman Trophy in Ohio, better yet a Titans legend in Tennessee? This is a manner in which a well-resourced MAC school like Bowling Green can sustain excellence.
And as for what it means for the MAC and the Group of Five as a whole, it puts an even greater level of focus on that league and that level of football in general. My pick to make the College Football Playoff this year plays in the MAC in the Miami RedHawks. This is because I think Chuck Martin is a fantastic head coach and Dequan Finn is a tremendous quarterback. George to Bowling Green makes this fun!
If George does not succeed, it will not be because he did not try; he succeeds at most things anyway.