Michael Vick reportedly hired as head football coach at Norfolk State
Michael Vick has been hired as the head football coach at Norfolk State, according to multiple reports.
The Virginian-Pilot first reported the news Tuesday night. A news conference formally announcing Vick as head coach is expected within a week, per the report. Vick replaces Dawson Odums, whom Norfolk State fired after a 15-30 record across four seasons.
The Athletic confirmed the Virginian-Pilot's report, which states that Vick and NSU agreed to a contract on Tuesday. Terms of the deal were not initially reported.
The head coaching job is the first for Vick, who starred as a quarterback at Virginia Tech and in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons. Vick also reportedly spoke with Sacramento State about their head coaching vacancy. Vick, 44, has little to no formal coaching experience. (He briefly was a coaching intern with the Kansas City Chiefs and had a very short stint as the offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Legends in the Alliance of American Football. Neither situation lasted long.)
“I know how to lead and I know what it takes," Vick previously told the Virginian-Pilot.
The job keeps Vick close to his childhood roots. Vick grew up and played high school football in nearby Newport News, Virginia. He then starred in two seasons as a quarterback at Virginia Tech.
In his first season as Virginia Tech's starter in 1999, Vick led the Hokies to an 11-1 record and No. 2 ranking the Associated Press poll. Virginia Tech's only loss that season came in a Sugar Bowl matchup for the national championship against Florida State. He was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy and finished third in the voting as a freshman behind winner Ron Dayne.
As a sophomore in 2000, Vick led the Hokies to another 11-1 campaign and finished sixth in Heisman Trophy voting. The following spring, the Atlanta Falcons selected him with the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft.
Vick initially lived up to his promise as an electric dual threat who changed how the position of quarterback was played in the NFL. After spending most of his rookie season learning from the bench behind Chris Chandler, Vick emerged as a Pro Bowler his first year as Atlanta's starter in 2002.
He made three Pro Bowls in five seasons as the Falcons' starter and twice finished in the top four in MVP voting. As an electric runner, passer and playmaker, he developed into one of the NFL's biggest stars.
Then his participation in a dog-fighting scandal derailed his life and his career. Vick's Bad Newz Kennels was found to have tortured and killed pit bulls as part of a dog-fighting operation. Per a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Vick and his associates hanged and drowned multiple dogs as part of their operation.
Vick initially denied directly taking part in the killing of dogs. After failing a polygraph test, he acknowledged to authorities to "taking part in the actual hanging of the dogs," per the USDA report.
Vick pleaded guilty in 2007 to a federal charge connected to the dogfighting ring. He also faced state charges in Virginia of torturing and killing dogs and promoting dogfighting. He pleaded guilty in that case to the dogfighting charge. The second charged was dropped as part of his plea agreement.
Vick served 21 months in prison and was released in 2009. He was out of the NFL for two seasons.
He returned to the league with the Philadelphia Eagles after his release. He spent five seasons with the Eagles and another season each with the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers before the conclusion of his playing career after the 2015 season.
Vick has worked as a football analyst at Fox Sports since his retirement.
