Reed served as the head coach at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio from 1978 to 1982. His best seasons came in 1978 and 1981, when he led the Redskins to 8–2–1 records. Reed's squads orchestrated several big upset wins including a victory over North Carolina during the 1978 season and a victory over Kentucky in Lexington in 1979. Reed had four winning seasons in five years and tallied a career record of 34–19–2 at Miami. After the 1981 season, Reed accepted the head coaching position at NC State and was replaced by Tim Rose.