George, a former Heisman winner, coached FCS program Tennessee State from 2021-24.
The Bowling Green Falcons found their next head coach, and he’s one of college football royalty.
Bowling Green hired Eddie George to the position Sunday morning to be the 21st head coach in program history, as first reported by Dave Briggs of The Toledo Blade. The head coach agreed to a 5-year contract.
George, no stranger to the state of Ohio, won the Heisman Trophy in 1995 as a phenom running back at Ohio State, rushing for 1,927 yards and 24 touchdowns in a historic season.
George was selected as the 14th overall pick of the 1996 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers and spent eight years with the franchise, through its rebrands to the Tennessee Oilers and Tennessee Titans. George earned the 1996 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and became a two-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowl selection. Finishing an illustrious career with 10,441 rushing yards, George currently ranks 29th in NFL history in the category.
Long after a successful NFL stint, George entered the coaching sphere in 2021. Without prior experience as an assistant, he immediately onboarded as head coach at FCS program Tennessee State. He spent four years as the program’s frontman, faring 5-6 and 4-7 during his first two years before witnessing sharp improvement. In 2023, George posted a 6-5 record to usher in Tennessee State’s first winning season since 2017. In 2024, George’s program posted a 9-4 record and qualified for the FCS Playoffs — signifying the program’s second-winningest season of the 21st century.
Bowling Green saw a sudden, unexpected vacancy at the head coach position when Scot Loeffler stepped down from the role on Friday, Feb. 28 to become the quarterbacks coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.
George inherits a Bowling Green program that has attained bowl eligibility in three-straight seasons, posting a 7-6 record in 2023 and 2024. This will be George’s first FBS coaching role, and he is one of four new MAC head coaches for the 2025 season. His debut is set for Thursday, Aug. 28 when his Falcons host FCS program Lafayette at Doyt Perry Stadium.