Before their teams even suit up to play a game next season former NFL players Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson will be two of the most high-profile coaches at historically Black colleges and universities.
After taking over two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) football teams – Norfolk State University and Delaware State University – that have been at the bottom of the conference standings for the past two seasons, the former Philadelphia Eagles teammates have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time to revitalize their respective programs.
At his introductory press conference on Dec. 23 at Norfolk State, Vick said establishing a winning culture was vital for him. During Jackson’s own introduction last week at Delaware State, he outlined goals for achieving academic excellence, winning the conference and reaching the Celebration Bowl.
With National Signing Day set for Feb. 5, here are the top priorities for both new coaches.
Hire experienced coaching staff
Tennessee State University head coach Eddie George and former Jackson State University head coach Deion Sanders have outlined the NFL-to-HBCU head coaching pathway to success: Surround yourself with an experienced coaching staff.
Neither Vick nor Jackson have experience coaching on a collegiate Division I level, so hiring coaches with either collegiate or professional experience will be vital to helping both overcome the learning curve of being first-time head coaches.
Vick has already begun announcing his coaching staff. Four members – Terence Garvin (defensive coordinator), Jabo Smith (defensive backs coach), Darryl Bullock (assistant head coach) and Steve Adams (special teams coach / recruiting coordinator) – have HBCU coaching experience at the DI and DII levels.
Jackson has named Travis Clark, the former head coach at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California, who has two decades of high school coaching experience, as his assistant head coach. As Jackson fills out the rest of his staff, connecting with others who have coached at historically Black colleges and universities can help him get acclimated to the realities of coaching at HBCUs and the resources available.
Ramp up recruiting efforts
Despite getting a late start with high school recruiting, both Vick and Jackson have strong enough NFL resumes to attract high-profile recruits from the transfer portal.
After the coaching changes were announced, several members of Norfolk State’s and Delaware State’s rosters entered the transfer portal, but Vick and Jackson already have made offers to some new players.
Last season, Norfolk State finished last in the conference in total offense and second to last in total defense. Norfolk State will be without All-MEAC linebacker AJ Richardson, who committed to North Carolina State University in December. Vick has some players verbally committed to playing for him, but he and his coaching staff will have to rely on the transfer portal and high school recruits to fill the holes caused by transfers.
Jackson has made offers to several players with Long Beach Wilson High School ties to join him in Delaware. Jackson has made additional efforts to recruit from his home state of California and establish a California-to-Delaware State recruiting pipeline. With the graduation of First-Team all-conference running back Jaden Sutton and several foundation players entering the transfer portal, Jackson and the Hornets have a lot of positional needs to fill on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball before spring football begins.
On offense, Jackson already has a commitment from Jadyn Robinson, a three-star wide receiver from Gardena, California, who has Power Four offers. Former Michigan State University wide receiver Antonio Gates Jr., son of former NFL Pro Bowler Antonio Gates, also has committed to the Hornets.
Delaware State finished at the bottom of the conference in both scoring offense and scoring defense a season ago. Defensively, the Hornets allowed the most sacks in the MEAC while totaling the fewest sacks in the conference last season and should be actively recruiting a pass rusher to help their defense.
Find their ideal quarterback
Great quarterbacks are the lifeline for most football teams, and the last seven MEAC Offensive Players of the Year have been quarterbacks.
As a quarterback, Vick was the prototype for every future dual-threat quarterback in the NFL. As a coach, he needs to find a talented dual-threat quarterback to lead the Spartans’ offense this season. A season ago, Norfolk State finished last in the conference for passing offense. Although Vick has a commitment from Kennesaw State University transfer Earl Woods III, he should look to add another quarterback to his first recruiting class.
Jackson spent his career playing under great quarterbacks such as Vick, Matthew Stafford and Lamar Jackson to name a few. Delaware State was tied with Morgan State for the fewest passing touchdowns in the conference last season, so expect the Hornets’ new coach to find a quarterback with a high IQ and strong throwing arm to feed his new receivers.