NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Michael Vick will be introduced as Norfolk State's new head coach in the near future, kicking off a new era for the Spartans.
Green and Gold Nation hopes that new era comes with more consistent success.
Finding traction has not be easy for NSU since its jump to the Division I FCS level in 1997. At that time, it was known as Division I-AA, and it would not be until 2007 that the program would secure its first winning campaign at that level, posting an 8-3 record. It was one of just two official winning seasons for the program as a Division I competitor, the other coming in 2021, when the Spartans went 6-5 in Dawson Odums' first year.
Norfolk State found success from 2009-2011, finishing above .500 each year and rolling to a MEAC title and FCS playoff appearance in 2011. Those campaigns, however, had their wins vacated by the NCAA, after an investigation concluded that the program was using ineligible players.
Vick will take over a team that has gone 9-25 since 2022 and was 4-8 this past season and he'll try to replicate the success that other coaches have orchestrated as first-time head coaches.
Jackson State was riding a streak of six straight seasons without a winning record before Deion Sanders arrived on campus. He led the program to three straight winning campaigns, including 11-2 and 12-1 showings his final two years. Former NFL running back Eddie George took over as Tennessee State's head coach prior to the 2021 season and led the team to its first FCS playoff appearance since 2013 this season.
Now Vick comes home looking to have the same impact with the Spartans.
Norfolk State has yet to announce his hiring or a date for his introductory press conference, but that announcement is expected by the end of the week.
