New Tennessee State head coach Reggie Barlow is no stranger to the HBCU coaching world, fielding successful teams at Alabama State and Virginia State. Now, he looks to continue the success that Tennessee State achieved under head coach Eddie George before his departure to coach Bowling Green.
“Coach George came here and took the program and put it on good stable ground, brought in the right type of people,” Barlow said to media reporters at his introductory press conference on Monday. “I think there’s a good bit here that we can work with, that we can build off of and take that positive momentum into the future, so we’re looking forward to that.”
Barlow joins the Tigers after a stint in the UFL, which Barlow says helped him grow as a coach.
“I love the [UFL], and I think I learned a lot about being a pro coach and coaching pro guys.”
While he enjoyed his experience, he spoke about how he still wanted to be a collegiate head coach.
“I think if I was … a little older, like some of the coaches we have in the spring league, then it would have been perfect. But I feel like at this age, I still want to be in college, [be] important to young men and then, of course, just going and building the program.”
Barlow started his coaching journey where he began his playing career—at Alabama State. Serving as the quarterbacks coach for two seasons and head coach for eight, Barlow led the Hornets to a 49-42 record and three SWAC East Division titles. Under his leadership, standout players like Super Bowl XLVII champion Tarvaris Jackson emerged. Beyond the field, his teams thrived academically, achieving an impressive 80% graduation rate.
For six seasons, he served as the head coach at Virginia State University. In 2017, he led the Trojans to their first-ever undefeated season and a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Championship victory. His achievements earned him the honor of being named CIAA Coach of the Year.
Reggie Barlow laid out a clear vision of how he’ll continue the success of Tennessee State in his tenure. In the 2024 season, the team made history with a 9-4 record, earning a share of the Big South-OVC championship and securing their first FCS Playoff appearance since 2013.
“We’re going to recruit. We’re going to get good players, good coaches. We’re going to support all sports. You’ll see the football team at volleyball games, basketball games—we’re part of the whole TSU experience.”
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