Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick has already fired multiple assistant coaches after a disastrous start to life in college football, it has emerged.
Vick, 45, has long been a controversial figure – even spending 21 months in prison for his involvement in a dogfighting ring during his career – and he recently turned to a new role as head coach.
He took over the Norfolk State Spartans in December last year, his first time in the big chair at this level, but the team has started his first season 1-6 and is allowing an average of 35.6 points per game.
As pressure continues to mount, the former Eagles and Falcons QB has admitted to already letting some of his coaching staff go, in a bid to turn around their fortunes.
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‘That’s my job as a leader,’ he told the Virginian-Pilot. ‘Not to say that it hasn’t been a success in some areas, it’s just what I expect is far more than what we’ve been getting so far.
‘I’m not going to sugarcoat it. I expect certain standards, and as long as I’m the head coach, I’m gonna make the right decision, do what’s best for the team.’
Michael Vick has gone 1-6 to start his college football head coaching career with Norfolk State
Vick, pictured with his wife in May of this year, has already fired some of his coaching staff
Vick has not revealed the specifics of who exactly he has fired from the program, but there are a series of ex-NFL names alongside him on the staff.
Terence Garvin – formerly of the Steelers – was appointed offensive coordinator at the start of Vick’s tenure, while ex-Jaguars man LaRoy Reynolds was linebackers coach.
Vick’s career, meanwhile, began when he was selected first overall in the 2001 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons – becoming the first Black quarterback taken with the top pick.
Vick instantly became a star in the NFL – earning Pro Bowl recognition in 2002, 2004, and 2005 with Atlanta.
But his entire career came to a screeching halt in 2007, when investigators uncovered evidence that an unlawful dog fighting ring was being run at a property Vick owned in Virginia. He pled guilty to federal charges and spent 21 months in federal prison.
Vick was previously an NFL analyst with Fox. He is pictured at the Super Bowl earlier this year
Vick is pictured during his NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles back in October 2012
Hours after pleading guilty, Vick was suspended indefinitely by the NFL.
Shortly before he was released from prison in 2009, the Falcons released Vick after considering trading him.
A free agent, Vick signed a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles in August of 2009 at the suggestion of Philly’s then-starter, Donovan McNabb.
When McNabb was traded to the Washington Redskins in 2010, Vick spent a few weeks on the bench behind Kevin Kolb before he eventually took over the starting job. He experienced something of a career renaissance with Philadelphia, winning the Comeback Player of the Year award in 2010 and being named to his fourth and final Pro-Bowl.
He served 21 months in federal prison for his role in a dog fighting ring in 2007
In total, he played five seasons in Philadelphia before hitting free agency in 2014. He signed a one-year contract with the New York Jets that season, making sporadic appearances.
At the end of his career, he signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015. After going unsigned throughout the 2016 season, he officially announced his retirement in 2017.
Vick tossed for over 22,000 yards in his NFL regular season career – completing 133 passing touchdowns. He was also prolific on the ground, rushing for over 6,000 career yards and 36 rushing touchdowns. In the playoffs, Vick managed 977 passing yards, five passing touchdowns, 271 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown.
Since retiring, he’s played in the American Flag Football League and has been an NFL analyst on FS1’s ‘Fox NFL Kickoff’. He also briefly served as a coaching intern under former coach Andy Reid with the Kansas City Chiefs in their 2017 training camp.
