Norfolk State coach and former Virginia Tech star Michael Vick was one of the first names to surface among potential targets for the Hokies over the weekend following the firing of Brent Pry after an 0-3 start to the season.
Vick, who’s No. 7 jersey is retired at Virginia Tech, is widely-considered the greatest athlete in school history after leading the Hokies to a perfect regular season and berth in the national championship game as a redshirt freshman in 1999.
Asked to comment on the Hokies’ coaching vacancy with his name attached to the pool of candidates, Vick answered in a crafty, coaching veteran kind of way.
“This team’s got to follow my lead,” Vick told HBCU Gameday this week. “My primary focus right now is Norfolk State. That’s all we can focus on. I hope they’re not reading the newspaper clippings or looking into what’s happening on the social pages, because I don’t do it. We’ve got Sacred Heart this week. That’s the most important thing in our lives right now.”
CBS Sports reported through sources this week that Vick, along with South Carolina’s Shane Beamer and others, would be part of Virginia Tech’s initial list of potential options. CBS Sports’ Richard Johnson reported that the Hokies expect Vick “to be in the mix” for the coaching job and he would be willing to listen since Virginia Tech is a “special place” for him.
Despite no previous coaching experience, Vick landed the Norfolk State job in December 2024 and is 1-2 overall through the first three games of his opening season following a 50-point loss to Rutgers on Saturday.
Vick finished third in Heisman voting as a second-year player in 1999 and later left the program for the NFL Draft as a redshirt sophomore the following campaign, where he was selected No. 1 overall by the Falcons in 2001. His playing career came to a screeching halt when Vick was convicted on dogfighting charges and sentenced to 21 months in federal prison.
Vick returned to the league in 2010 where he won the Comeback Player of the Year award with the Eagles. He finished his playing career with stops with the Jets and Steelers before retiring in 2015.
Vick was honored in 2017 as a Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame inductee and later became an NFL analyst before jumping into coaching last offseason.
Pry’s disappointing end
After surrendering 34 unanswered points at home during a loss to Vanderbilt in Week 2 then failing to show over the weekend against Old Dominion, Virginia Tech dropped to 16-24 under Pry, sparking the change.
“Unfortunately, the results on the field were not acceptable and a change in leadership is necessary,” Virginia Tech president Tim Sands released in a statement. “Philip Montgomery will serve as interim head coach. We will continue to fully support our team and student-athletes for the remaining games as we strive together to significantly improve the trajectory of our football program this season.”
Pry came into this season with pressure to show signs of progress after a second straight 6-6 record in the regular season in 2024. And after a loss to Beamer and South Carolina in the opener, faced what amounted to must-wins at home against the Commodores and Monarchs.
The buyout provision in Pry’s contract states that he’s owed 70% of the base salary remaining on his contract, except for the final year of his deal, where Virginia Tech would only owe him 50% of his base salary.
Hokies athletic director Whit Babcock will assist and help with the search, but only in a supportive role.
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