To shouts of “Coach” and “Let’s go Spartans,” Michael Vick was introduced Monday as Norfolk State’s football coach, a homecoming for the former NFL star and a splashy, attention-grabbing hire for a program that has struggled in recent years.
Vick, who grew up about 30 minutes away in Newport News, donned a Norfolk State letterman’s jacket and cap in front of a crowd of supporters that included fellow Hampton Roads, Virginia, sports greats Allen Iverson and Bruce Smith.
Vick’s introduction was the culmination of whirlwind courtship, the timing of which took even Vick by surprise.
“I was talking to my high school coach a couple weeks ago, and I told him I wanted to be a football coach one day, a couple years from now,” he said.
Vick said he then got a surprise call from former Virginia Tech football player Aaron Rouse, who is now a Virginia state senator, and Norfolk State athletic director Melody Webb, gauging his interest in becoming the Spartans’ coach.
“It wasn’t the easiest decision to make,” Vick said. “I’ve got family that I considered, I care about and I love. This requires a lot of change in lifestyle. But at the same time, it allows me to serve young men in my community.”
Vick led Virginia Tech to the national championship game as a redshirt freshman and was selected No. 1 overall in the 2001 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons. A three-time Pro Bowl pick in six seasons in Atlanta, he revolutionized the quarterback position with his dynamic running ability.
Vick’s career was derailed by his conviction in 2007 for his involvement in a dogfighting ring. He pleaded guilty and served 21 months in federal prison before resuming his career in 2009. He retired in 2017 and had been working as an NFL analyst for Fox Sports and as an animal rights activist.
Vick’s legal troubles were not mentioned Monday, except indirectly by Webb, who praised his ability to “inspire and overcome challenges” and said it is in keeping with the values the school wants to instill in its student-athletes.
“His journey is one of resilience and redemption and unwavering commitment to growth,” Webb said.
Vick has no coaching experience and is the latest former NFL star who had not coached before to take the helm of an HBCU program, a club that includes Deion Sanders and Eddie George.
Norfolk State has made only one playoff appearance since moving to FCS in 1997. The last five Spartan head coaches have had losing records, including Dawson Odoms, who was fired in November after going 15-30 in four seasons.
School officials hailed Vick’s hiring as transformational, however. Webb said Vick’s name “resonates around the world.”
Added rector Kim Brown: “Today we turn the corner and we embrace a new season for our football program.”
For his part, Vick said he won’t be outworked, and that he will recruit hard in his home region, long a hotbed of talent. He said he attended Norfolk State games while playing youth football in Newport News and has followed the program over the years.
“It’s a lot of pressure being in your hometown,” he said. “I’ve always thrived off it.”