Ain’t no way Michael Vick was just gonna dip his toes into coaching—nah, he’s diving in headfirst. Since announcing on December 22 that he’s taking over at Norfolk State, Vick has been out here making big waves and noise in HBCU football. And he’s not doing it alone. He’s been stacking up his coaching squad like it’s a championship Madden roster, handpicking guys who know the game inside and out. First, it was Ron Whitcomb from Buffalo as his offensive coordinator, and now? He just pulled off another power move, after making major headlines on his and Norfolk’s future.
SJG from HBCUGameday broke the news on January 28 that Vick is bringing in another HBCU icon—Tory Woodbury. If you don’t know, Woodbury was that QB at Winston-Salem State, leading them to back-to-back CIAA titles in ’99 and 2000. But here’s the crazy part: when the 2001 NFL Draft rolled around, only one quarterback ran a faster 40 than him. You guessed it—Michael Vick. Now, over 2 decades later, these two are linking up at Norfolk State, with Woodbury set to run special teams.
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Now, at first glance, putting a former quarterback in charge of special teams might seem a little unusual. But don’t get it twisted—Woodbury’s got the resume for it. The former HBCU QB grinded through the NFL with the Bills, Jets, and Saints, making a name for himself with his football IQ and versatility. After his playing days, he climbed the coaching ranks. From running backs coach at Delaware State to OC at Johnson C. Smith, before jumping to the NFL as a scout and then assistant special teams coach for the Rams. Oh yeah, and he helped them win Super Bowl 56. Since then, he’s been molding special teams units at Morgan State and Howard, and now he’s bringing all that expertise back to the MEAC with Norfolk State.
Vick ain’t just stacking NFL experience—he’s building a staff that gets it. Woodbury isn’t just a former pro; he’s a certified football mind who can connect with these players on a different level. And given his background in both scouting and coaching, you can bet Norfolk’s special teams are about to be on point next season.
But let’s keep it a buck—Norfolk State is just Vick’s first stop on this coaching grind. He’s locked in right now, no doubt, but the man’s got bigger plans. When folks pressed him about his future, he didn’t sugarcoat a thing. “I see myself potentially going to a Power 5 one day. You know, that’s the goal,” Vick said straight up. “Anything I get myself involved in, I’m always going to look into the future, where I can take it, or where I can go.” Will Mike dip after a few good seasons and follow Deion Sanders‘ roadmap?
Michael Vick’s new offensive coordinator – Ron Whitcomb
If you thought Vick was just gonna wing it with the offense, you clearly don’t know how he operates. He needed a guy who could break down film like a scientist, and he found his OC in Ron Whitcomb.
“It’s gonna be a guy named Ron Whitcomb. From the University of Buffalo, I think he’s the guy that’s hungry,” Vick said. “We sat down on numerous occasions, went through a lot of film. Just bust it all down, chopped it up, and just trying to understand philosophy, and what it’s gonna be, what it’s gonna look like.” That right there tells you everything. Vick didn’t just hire a guy—he vetted him like he was picking a QB in the first round. And the more they talked ball, the more he knew Whitcomb was the real deal.
Whitcomb’s been grinding at Buffalo for the past five years, working as the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator. Under his watch, the Bulls’ tight ends started making plays—like in 2022. When Robbie Mangas put up the best numbers a UB tight end had seen since 2019. But his impact went deeper than just stats. He helped Buffalo secure a Camellia Bowl win over Georgia Southern, only the program’s third-ever bowl victory.
Before that, Whitcomb spent 12 seasons at Old Dominion molding quarterbacks and helping ODU rise through the ranks. So yeah, the man knows how to develop talent. And that’s exactly what Norfolk State’s offense needs. Vick isn’t just slapping together a coaching staff—he’s crafting a football think tank. With Woodbury holding down special teams and Whitcomb scheming up the offense.
Look, Vick ain’t about to settle—he’s built for the big stage, and this gig at Norfolk is just his warm-up and openly expressed it, and if he proves he can run a program, best believe them Power 5 schools gonna come knocking. But for now? He’s cooking up something serious, surrounding himself with real football minds. With Woodbury and Whitcomb in the mix, Norfolk State is about to start turning heads.
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