Michael Vick, Norfolk State look to turn the tide in 2026

Story by

Randall Barnes, ClutchPoints

Wed, Apr 15, 2026 ·

3 min read

Michael Vick, Norfolk State look to turn the tide in 2026 appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

The 2025 season was a less-than-stellar start to Michael Vick ’s coaching career. The former NFL star took on the mantle of leading the Spartans as a homecoming of sorts to his home state of Virginia. But the team struggled in his first season, going 1-11 with their sole victory coming on a last-second field goal against Division II rival Virginia State.

The struggles and triumphs of Vick’s 1st season as Norfolk State head coach were chronicled in the BET docu-series, The Coach Vick Experience . Now, Vick looks to turn the tide and prepare for more success in 2026.

Norfolk State recently had its spring game, and Vick firmly believes that the team is improving.

“I thought we had a great spring. Everyday we got better. Defensively, they started to believe in one another and understand the scheme… Our defense stepped it up and showed me they can be as good as they want to be,” said Vick, who added on that it’s a respect thing for this Norfolk State team.

One of the big expectations of Vick heading into the 2026 season is growing mentally. Vick spoke of his team taking on a championship mentality that can lead them through adversity during the season.

“We didn’t gain that respect from anybody last year. How you earn it is going out in between the lines and finding out what you’re made of… It’s a championship mentality.. We ain’t stopping. We’re going to be so mentally headstrong that we can’t be broken,”

One of the standouts for Vick during spring practices was Norfolk State’s defensive unit. Last season, Norfolk State’s defense struggled, being hit with excessive penalties and giving up big plays on the ground and through the air. But Vick is high on the unit’s potential.

“Our defense really stepped it up the last couple of weeks and showed me that they could potentially be as good as they want to be,” he noted. “I knew it was just about pushing them to lock in.”

A huge storyline heading into Year 2 of Michael Vick’s tenure at Norfolk State will be who will be the starting quarterback in Week 1. Vick’s 1st season was hit with an unexpected quarterback controversy when he elected to start transfer quarterback Israel Carter over veteran Norfolk State signal-caller Otto Khuns. Carter struggled to start the season, leading to Khuns ultimately becoming QB1 for the rest of the season before suffering a season-ending injury against North Carolina Central in November.

Carter eventually departed the team via the transfer portal, leading to Vick bringing on a new crop of quarterbacks. Vick gave his honest assessment of the quarterbacks that participated in spring practice and the spring game. An interesting wrinkle is that Vick greenlit the quarterbacks to be tackled as a chance to showcase their toughness.

“They showed me that they were tough. When I told [the quarterbacks] that we were going to go live, they kind of looked at me crazy, but hey man, that’s why we play this game. I don’t want the first time they get hit to be in September.”

Norfolk State kicks off the 2026 season hosting former Spartan special teams coach Tori Woodbury and Winston-Salem State University on August 29.