Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL standout Eddie George climbed the college football coaching ladder and earlier this offseason landed his first FBS job as the Bowling Green headman. Ahead of his debut season with the Falcons, the Ohio State product received a vote of confidence from another Buckeyes legend in College Football Hall of Fame coach Jim Tressel, who now serves as the Lieutenant Governor of Ohio.
George was among the Bowling Green representatives in attendance at the Ohio state capitol building this week for a university event. There, he met with state officials including Tressel and Governor Mike DeWine.
“Had a blast catching up with @EddieGeorge2727 this week!” Tressel said on social media. “He’s a proven winner who has given Ohio so many legendary memories. Now, he’s ready to take the field as head coach for @BG_Football. With his passion for people and the game of football, I know he’ll do an incredible job!”
The Bowling Green job is the next step in George’s fast-rising career after he previously debuted on the sidelines as the Tennessee State coach. He spent four seasons in the FCS and won last year’s Big South–OVC Coach of the Year award after he led the Tigers to their first conference championship since 1999. He replaced Scot Loeffler atop the Falcons program after a strong tenure that included three straight bowl appearances from 2022-24.
George logged losing records in his first two years as a college football coach but quickly put his former program on an upward trajectory. He broke through for his first winning season in 2023 with a 6-5 record and is fresh off the best year of his career in which he guided Tennessee State to a 9-4 mark.
George enters his inaugural campaign at Bowling Green with a veteran quarterback on his roster. He made waves in the transfer portal when he landed experienced signal-caller Drew Pyne to his squad, giving him a former Power Four starter to potentially spark a potent offense in Year 1 in the MAC.
Before he embarked on a career on the sidelines, George was an uber-successful running back at Ohio State and with two NFL franchises. He won the 1995 Heisman Trophy after he flirted with the 2,000-yard mark and racked up 24 rushing touchdowns in his best season with the Buckeyes, and the NFL took notice as he flew off the board as the No. 14 overall pick in the ensuing draft.
George played nine professional seasons and crossed the 1,000-yard threshold in seven of them. He spent the majority of his career with the Tennessee Titans (originally as the Houston Oilers) and concluded it with one year with the Dallas Cowboys.
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