Michael Vick appears ready to make the jump into coaching.
The former Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback is in discussions with both Norfolk State and Sacramento State to take over as their head football coach, according to multiple reports on Monday. It would mark the first head coaching job for Vick, who has worked as an analyst for Fox Sports after he retired from the NFL.
Vick played two seasons at Virginia Tech in college, and he led the Hokies to the national championship game in 1999. The Falcons then selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in 2001, which made him the first Black quarterback to ever be chosen with the first pick.
Vick spent his first six seasons in the league with the Falcons, where he picked up three Pro Bowl nods and he led the team to the NFC Conference title game during the 2004 campaign. Vick, however, missed both the 2006 and 2007 seasons and spent nearly two years in prison for financing a dog-fighting operation. He pled guilty and was then released from prison in 2009, though his playing career took a big hit. The league and most major brands essentially all cut ties with him.
Vick returned to the league with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he spent the next five seasons. He spent short stints with the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers before retiring after the 2015 campaign.
Vick, 44, told the on Monday that he interviewed for the head job at Norfolk State. He said the HBCU reached out to him about the position. Norfolk State fired head coach Dawson Odums in November after the Spartans went just 4-8 last season. Vick’s hometown of Newport News isn’t far from Norfolk State’s campus in Virginia.
Vick, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, is also in discussions with Sacramento State. The program is preparing to move up to the FBS level, and is searching for a new head coach after Andy Thompson resigned earlier this month.
It’s unclear how far along either program is in discussions with Vick about the job, or how serious they are about bringing him in. Clearly, though, Vick is at least entertaining the idea of leaving the analyst chair and starting his coaching career.