Michael Vick headlined the Atlanta Falcons’ offense, and now he’s making new headlines. After retiring in 2017, he worked in media for seven years — the four-time Pro Bowler is returning to the gridiron, but this time to the sidelines. The former Philadelphia Eagles QB announced on his Facebook profile on Dec. 17 that he was hired as the new head coach of Norfolk State.
Michael Vick on Coach Prime’s Role in His Decision To Join Norfolk State
The unanimous decision by the school’s board of advisors saw Vick become the 19th head coach of the football program. Vick began his playing career in college with Virginia Tech and was selected by Atlanta as the No. 1 pick in the 2001 NFL Draft. After retiring from the league, he became an analyst for Fox Sports, however he has never been a coach.
With his inexperience coaching, the opportunity came with uncertainty. In light of this, during the introductory press conference on Dec. 23, Vick said that Coach Prime, who has been leading the Colorado Buffaloes for the past two seasons, was the one who gave him a push to say yes to the job.
According to 13 News Now’s Connor Rhiel, Deion Sanders put his “Prime Effect” at work and told him: “You might as well get into it, I don’t know what you’re waiting for.”
Coach Vick says he spoke to Deion Sanders about coaching, Sanders told him “you might as well get into it, I don’t know what you’re waiting for” @NSUSpartans
— Connor Rhiel (@13ConnorRhiel) December 23, 2024
Vick also had a previous conversation with Sanders, according to Fox Sports’ RJ Young a week ago: “I reached out to Deion just to have a conversation with him. The conversation was more so about philosophy and the most important steps to get started. He reminded me I’d have a bunch of people pulling for me.”
On X, Sanders also congratulated Vick on his new role: “Let’s go baby! We’ve got to support, encourage, assist & show consistent Love to Coach Vick! He’s forever changed to QB position in @cfb @NFL & he will have tremendous impact on Coaching & Leading men to their true destinations. Love ya my brother.”
Let’s go baby! We’ve got to support, encourage, assist & show consistent Love to Coach Vick! He’s forever changed to QB position in @cfb @NFL & he will have tremendous impact on Coaching & Leading men to their true destinations. Love ya my brother. @MichaelVick pic.twitter.com/xZYN8ROftl
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) December 23, 2024
After his 13 seasons in the league, Vick has the most career rushing yards in the NFL by a quarterback at 6,109. The former NFLer said of his joining on Monday: “A prestigious HBCU with a rich athletics history, NSU provides a tremendous environment for students to reach their full potential on the field and, just as importantly, in the classroom. I am honored to join the Norfolk State family.”
Norfolk State ended the 2024 regular season near the bottom of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with a 4-8 record. However, Vick’s 22,464 career yards and 133 touchdowns might help him transform the program and make a new for himself in coaching circles.