Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick wanted a college head-coaching job, and he has landed one.
Vick reportedly agreed to terms to become the head coach of Norfolk State on Tuesday, getting his first major head-coaching job. According to the Virginian-Pilot, an introductory news conference is scheduled for some time this week.
Vick was also connected to the Sacramento State job in recent weeks.
He will be taking over an FCS program that went 15-31 over the past four seasons under previous head coach Dawson Odums.
It is something of a homecoming for Vick who played his high school and college football in Virginia (Virginia Tech) and was a superstar before entering the 2001 draft when he was the No. 1 overall pick by the Atlanta Falcons.
Vick was one of the most electrifying players in the NFL before his career was derailed by a dogfighting scandal that sent him to prison and took him away from the NFL for two years. After serving his time, he returned to the NFL and spent seven years playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Now he is taking over an FCS program in need of a jumpstart and a spark.
Vick’s coaching experience is limited at this point, so there is some question as to how this will work out. He spent time as a coaching intern with Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017, and also served as an offensive coordinator for Atlanta Legends in the Alliance of American Football.
There is some recent precedent for former NFL players taking college head-coaching jobs without much experience. Deion Sanders is the most prominent example, getting hired as the head coach of Jackson State in 2020 after only coaching in high school. He immediately turned the program into an FCS power, and then landed a job with Colorado. In just two years, he turned the Buffaloes into a Top 25 team and playoff contender.
