Sacramento State has met with former NFL sensation Mike Vick about its open head coaching position, the school’s president told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday
“He has expressed interest in the position and yes I did meet with him about his interest in Sac State football and our athletic rise,” president Luke Wood told ESPN. “As you can imagine, given the success of our athletic programs that our football head coach job is an attractive role.”
The university plans to move up to the FBS, is building a new stadium and has over $50 million in NIL funds, sources told Schefter.
Vick was also interviewing with Norfolk State for its head coaching job, according to the Virginian-Pilot. Vick’s hometown of Newport News, Virginia, is not far from Norfolk State’s campus.
The Sacramento State job opened after Andy Thompson, who had been the Hornets’ head coach the past two seasons, left for an assistant head coaching job at Stanford. The Hornets finished 3-9 and in 11th place in the Big Sky this season.
As a player, Vick carried the Hokies to the 1999 national title game, where they lost to Florida State 46-29. In the 2001 NFL draft, the Falcons made him the first Black quarterback to be chosen with the No. 1 overall pick.
However, during the prime of his NFL career, Vick served 18 months in prison for financing a dog-fighting operation.
Vick, 44, was released from federal prison in 2009 after pleading guilty and serving his sentence for his role in the dog-fighting ring. The case upended his stardom on the field at a time when he was the poster child for modern football. Vick made a comeback after he was released with the Philadelphia Eagles, but his prime years were behind him. He officially retired from the league in 2017, and has made advocating against animal cruelty a part of his mission.
He has been an NFL analyst for Fox Sports since his retirement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
