Former NFL and Virginia Tech star quarterback Michael Vick said Monday that he interviewed for the head coaching position at Norfolk State.

From his home in Florida, Vick told The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press that he has spoken with university president Javaune Adams-Gaston and Spartans athletic director Melody Webb and that he expects a resolution “soon.”

Vick said Norfolk State officials reached out to him and he was intrigued by the potential opportunity to give back to the Hampton Roads community that has long supported him.

Vick lacks formal coaching experience, but he said, “I know how to lead and I know what’s important.”

He said he would hire experienced staff to help him transition into the position.

Later Monday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Sacramento State is also pursuing Vick for its vacant head coaching position. Schefter said the Hornets are prepared to spend more than $50 million on player acquisition and hope to move up from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Bowl Subdivision, an investment that Norfolk State cannot match.

Vick did not respond to further requests for comment about Sacramento State.

The hiring of Vick would end a nearly month-long NSU search that began with the Nov. 26 firing of Dawson Odums. Odums’ teams compiled a 15-31 record in his four years and finished with a loss in each of his final three seasons.

“We are working diligently to provide the best candidate for our student-athletes, our fan base and, most importantly, Norfolk State University,” the school said in a statement Friday. “… Hopefully the process will be completed soon, but we want to make the right decision for the future of our program.”

Newport News native and former NFL Pro Bowler Vick was a training camp intern with the Kansas City Chiefs and was slated to become offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Legends of the Alliance of American Football — a now-defunct spring league — but ended up becoming a consultant.

Since 2017, Vick has been an NFL analyst for Fox Sports. During the NFL season, he served as a studio analyst on Fox NFL Kickoff and Fox’s one-hour NFL pregame show on Sundays. He also contributes to FS1’s NFL coverage.

Vick needs no introduction – locally or nationally.

He played at Ferguson and Warwick high schools before enrolling at Virginia Tech. After a redshirt season, he led the Hokies to the 1999 Big East title and an undefeated regular season that led them to the national championship game against Florida State in the Sugar Bowl.

Vick finished third in the 1999 Heisman Trophy voting behind Wisconsin running back Ron Dayne and Georgia Tech quarterback Joe Hamilton, the highest finish ever for a redshirt freshman.

A dual-threat who helped revolutionize the quarterback game, Vick threw for 3,074 yards and 20 touchdowns in two seasons as Tech’s starter while adding 1,202 yards rushing and 16 scores. The Hokies posted a combined record of 22-2, and shortly after their Gator Bowl victory over Clemson on New Year’s Day 2001, Vick declared for the NFL draft.

The Atlanta Falcons selected him No. 1 overall and in six seasons with the team, Vick made three Pro Bowls. He helped the Falcons become the first visiting team ever to win a playoff game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, and he led Atlanta to the NFC Championship game in the 2004-05 season.

In 2006, Vick became the first quarterback in NFL history to reach 1,000 rushing yards in a single season. Only Lamar Jackson and Justin Fields have done so since then.

Vick’s career was cut short after the 2006 season because of his involvement in an illegal dogfighting ring, for which he spent 21 months in federal prison. Along with animal rights activists, Vick worked tirelessly to improve his image, and with the blessing of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the Philadelphia Eagles signed him.

He was Donovan McNabb’s backup in 2009 and won the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award in 2010 with 3,018 passing yards and 21 touchdowns, both career highs at the time, as well as 676 yards and nine scores on the ground.

He played five more seasons in the NFL, three with the Eagles, one each with the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers before retiring in 2017. In total, Vick was named to four Pro Bowls during his 13 seasons in the NFL and totaled 22,464 passing yards, 133 touchdown passes, 6,109 rushing yards and 36 rushing scores.

Vick would inherit a Norfolk State program that has struggled since moving up from the Division II CIAA to the Division I Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 1997. The Spartans subsequently received only one FCS playoff bid, in 2011, when they won their only MEAC title.

That championship was later vacated because Norfolk State used ineligible players.

Norfolk State would be the latest Division I HBCU football program to hire a promising coach.

In September 2020, Jackson State named Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, who had limited high school coaching experience. He led the Tigers to a 27-6 record in three seasons before parlaying that success into the Colorado gig.

Tennessee State hired 1995 Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George (Ohio State) in April 2021. George had no coaching background and has since led the Tigers to a 24-22 mark, which includes an FCS playoff appearance this season.

David Teel, [email protected]

Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, [email protected]

Originally published: December 16, 2024 at 12:08 pm EST