The Morgan State Bears are bolstering their football coaching staff through the addition of new wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator Tyrae Reid Jr. Reid has a wealth of football knowledge, as was evident with his two years as an assistant coach with the Washington Commanders in the NFL.
“It's a pleasure to have the opportunity to add Coach Reid to our staff as the Wide Receivers/Pass Game Coordinator,” said Morgan State head coach Damon Wilson. “Coach Reid has experience coaching at every level and is a Baltimore native. I look forward to coach Reid adding his experiences to our staff and developing our wide receiver room.”
Reid joined the Commanders' organization in 2022 as an offensive assistant where he spent a majority of his time coaching the quarterbacks. Reid was on staff when Old Dominion quarterback Taylor Heinicke took charge of the Commanders' offense. Through nine games, Heinicke threw for 1,859 yards, 12 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Heinicke's play in 2022 helped him land a two-year, $14 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons, where he started in a handful of games.
The next season, the Commanders also made Reid their assistant receivers coach. He helped Washington's star receiver Terry McLaurin reach his fourth straight season with over 1,000 receiving yards. McLaurin had 79 catches, the second highest of his career, and hauled in four touchdowns.
Reid made it as far as the NFL, but he comes from HBCU beginnings. He was an exceptional quarterback for the Bowie State Bulldogs from 2009-2012, earning CIAA All-Rookie Team honors in 2009. In 2014, he kicked off his coaching career at McDaniel College, a Division III school in Maryland. He served as the academic coordinator and video coordinator for several years. In 2017, he returned to Bowie State, where he had worked as a student assistant in 2013. After two seasons as the quarterbacks coach, the university promoted Reid to offensive coordinator in 2019, where he remained until his stint with the Washington Commanders.
Morgan State is bringing in Tyrae Reid Jr. to fix one of the worst passing attacks in the MEAC. Last season, the Bears ranked fifth out of six teams in passing offense. They averaged 138.1 passing yards per game, and only scored eight passing touchdowns, the worst in the conference. Morgan State also ranked last in average yards per attempt at just 5.2. For reference, South Carolina State's rushing attack averaged 5.9 yards per carry.
The Bears had two receivers in the top 20 in terms of total yards: Treveyon Pratt and Anthony James Jr. Pratt had a stellar season, catching 25 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns. James caught 20 balls for 189 yards and a touchdown.
Morgan State's offense as a whole struggled throughout the season. They leaned heavily on their defense to achieve a 4-6 record. They scored 20 or more points three times in wins over South Carolina State, Delaware State, and Norfolk State. Despite those struggles, Morgan State contended for the MEAC Championship. The Bears suffered just two conference losses to the last two conference champions, Howard and North Carolina Central. Additionally, in Week 2, they very nearly defeated an FBS school, the University of Akron.
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