UPDATE (5:16 PM): Per Sacramento Bee journalist Joe Davidson, Sacramento State officials are disputing Schefter’s report that Vick is in discussions to be hired to lead their football team.
UPDATE (6:52 PM): Davidson has walked back and deleted his initial tweet, now noting Vick and the school have been talks but no job has been offered.
And Schefter passed along word from the school’s president, noting they have met with Vick.
Our original story is below.
A week after Bill Belichick made headlines by becoming the North Carolina Tar Heels’ head coach, former NFL quarterback and one-time Pittsburgh Steeler Mike Vick is set to become a college head coach, too. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Vick is in “discussions” to become the next head coach at Sacramento State.
Schefter also notes that Vick has stated he’s discussed the head job at Norfolk State with school officials there. But it seems Sacramento State has all the momentum as it eyes a move to the FBS level with plenty of NIL money to boot.
Vick spent his final NFL season in 2015 with the Steelers. He appeared in five games, starting three, following a knee injury to Ben Roethlisberger. Vick started in Weeks 4-6, throwing two touchdowns and one interception as Pittsburgh went 2-3. However, he only played part of his final start against the Arizona Cardinals before giving way to Landry Jones.
His most memorable win came the week before when the Steelers knocked off the Los Angeles Chargers in primetime and on the road with a walk-off Le’Veon Bell touchdown.
One of the most exciting players in college football history at Virginia Tech, Vick went first overall to the Atlanta Falcons in the 2001 NFL Draft. Though never a consistent passer, his huge arm and dynamic rushing ability made him a force in the NFL. His career changed after being arrested for running a dogfighting ring for which he spent two years in jail. Missing the 2007 and 2008 seasons, he returned to play for the Philadelphia Eagles from 2009-2013 before spending the 2014 season with the New York Jets.
Vick has spoken fondly of his time in Pittsburgh and recently expressed how much he loved playing for Mike Tomlin.
Since his playing days ended, he has spent some time as a coach. He interned with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017 and was hired as an offensive coordinator for the defunct AAF Atlanta Legends in 2018. However, he relinquished that role before the year began, serving as a consultant for the team instead.
The Sacramento State Hornets went 3-9 in 2023, losing both of their games against FBS competition. They have not officially been accepted into the FBS but have formed a committee with the goal of soon being invited.
