Days after Michael Vick was named the new coach at Norfolk State—a move that aligned with the recent trend of ex-superstar NFL players gravitating to lead HBCU football players—the Virginia native explained why he chose this path.
Vick, who was officially named Spartans coach on Friday, explained the reasoning behind the decision in an interview with Fox Sports.
In addition to Norfolk State, Vick was reportedly sought after by Sacramento State. Though interest in the job was authentic, Vick turned down the opportunity,
“Sacramento State had a great situation. They had tons of NIL money and tons of opportunity,” Vick said. “But I didn’t want to make my decision based on money. I wanted to make it based on what I could do and who I could sincerely help. And I think, you know, I can help on both sides. But I felt like it was great to go back home and do it in my backyard. And that was probably the deciding factor, having the chance to do it back where I grew up.”
The Pro Bowl QB also said he reached out to former Jackson State and current Colorado coach Deion Sanders about what to expect as a coach.
“I reached out to Deion just to have a conversation with him,” Vick said. “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.”
