Ed Reed returns to the Miami Hurricanes as chief of staff

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Ed Reed is going back to his roots and rejoining the Miami Hurricanes.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer has been hired as the new chief of staff for the Hurricanes’ football program, a deal that was announced Thursday and will be finalized when the school completes a standard background check.

Reed will be tasked with helping Miami coach Manny Diaz “in all aspects of the football program, including strategic planning, quality control, operations, player evaluation and player development,” the university said in a statement.

Reed’s duties will also include team building, student-athlete mentorship and as much recruiting as is allowed under NCAA rules.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ed back to Coral Gables,” Diaz said. “He is not only one of the most decorated players in Miami football history but also a devoted Cane who cares deeply about this program. All of our players, coaches and staff will be fortunate to tap into his experience, knowledge and passion on a regular basis.”

Reed was a five-time All-Pro safety, a member of the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, the 2004 Defensive Player of the Year and made nine Pro Bowls. He had 64 career interceptions, led the league in that stat three times and scored 13 non-offense touchdowns in his career with the Baltimore Ravens.

“It would be hard to argue that he’s not the greatest safety in the history of football, right?” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said last year. “He’s one of the top 10 players maybe in the history of the game.”

At Miami, Reed was part of the Hurricanes’ most recent national title team in 2001. He set school records for career interceptions (21) and interception return yards (369), won a Big East championship in javelin in 1999 and graduated with a degree in liberal arts.

Reed is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the University of Miami Hall of Fame.