As season one of The Coach Vick Experience draws to a close, I believe this episode will go down as arguably the best of the season. I may be biased because HBCU Pulse Radio was prominently featured in the montage leading into the episode. But I think this specific episode showcased the reality of athletic leadership and the sacrifices players make to compete at the highest level.
We saw Michael Vick’s doubts about his current predicament become more and more curt, and we also saw Norfolk State football navigating a season that ultimately turned into a disappointment despite tremendously high expectations.
HBCU Pulse Radio featured on the show
I can’t start this review and recap without mentioning that HBCU Pulse and ClutchPoints were featured on the show. It was a pleasant surprise to see my face on the screen, pulled from an episode of HBCU Pulse Radio: Sports Edition, where my co-host Arielle and I recapped Norfolk State’s loss to DeSean Jackson’s Delaware State Hornets in the “Battle of the Legends” at the Philadelphia Eagles’ stadium.
I was part of a chorus of voices expressing disappointment with the on-field product displayed. I believe that all of us covering HBCU sports wanted to see success for Vick and Norfolk State this season. While many of us didn’t believe that they would immediately win the MEAC or make the Celebration Bowl, we expected to see better from the team than what was experienced.
On a personal note, it was an honor to see HBCU Pulse Radio featured in the episode’s narrative. A couple of weeks prior, one of our ClutchPoints HBCU reports was featured concerning Vick’s staff shakeup after the end of the out-of-conference schedule. To see your work covered and recognized nationally in this fashion is always great, and we are appreciative of SMAC Entertainment for the opportunity and the spotlight.
Otto Kuns made a difference
It was gut-wrenching to see Otto Khuns get injured in the North Carolina Central game when I was watching back in November, but reliving it again and seeing the behind-the-scenes footage of his subsequent recovery was moving. After starting the year with uncertainty, Khuns perfectly cemented himself as the clear starter on the team. He was one of the biggest constants, as we saw in several matchups, such as against Delaware State.
Seeing him injured was disheartening. But after taking time to look back at the games against North Carolina Central and Morgan State specifically, and watching this episode, I’ve come to an interesting conclusion: I believe firmly that if Khuns finished the game against North Carolina Central and was able to start and play against Morgan State, the Spartans would have picked up their second and third victories. Outside of a couple of penalties and special teams issues, as Vick lays out in the show, they were on the cusp of winning those games.
There wasn’t a demonstrative talent advantage, and at certain points, Norfolk State had the upper hand. But the games were ultimately won and lost on the margins. Having a steady hand at quarterback that had gotten in rhythm over the span of the past six to eight weeks could have been what ultimately led Norfolk State over the top. That changes a lot of my perspective.
While I think that Norfolk State had a lot of bad habits and didn’t play their best in certain parts of the season, I think that they still could have earned some victories to give Vick confidence in what he was building and showcase the proof of concept to the nation. But sports are unscripted, and anything can happen. Injuries are an unfortunate ingredient baked into the cake of athletic competition, and ultimately, the Spartans suffered greatly in those moments.
Israel Carter on the way out?
After not hearing a lot about Israel Carter over the past couple of episodes, we see that he’s gearing up to make a decision about entering the transfer portal. Early in the season, Carter lost his QB1 spot to Otto Khuns and elected to take a redshirt year to maintain his season of eligibility. Vick wasn’t happy with the decision, but it made a lot of sense, and he made him the scout team quarterback.
But Carter’s decision to enter the transfer portal makes perfect sense; it seemed like it would always happen after the QB battle concluded. As I’ve said many times in our coverage of the show, Otto Khuns should have been the starting quarterback from week one on. And even if Vick elected to go with Carter during the Towson game, his level of play indicated Khuns should have been QB1.
If he had a conversation about Carter being the backup and learning the lay of the land with this Norfolk State team, and then had promised him the starting job next year or even given him the opportunity to start after Khuns was injured, maybe circumstances would have been different.
But I think a lot of the reason Carter is considering entering the transfer portal is the mixed messaging about his future. It was disheartening to see that Vick was hurt by Carter’s conversations about looking to transfer, especially given how close they appeared to be before he took the job. But it was predictable to see that this would ultimately be the outcome. This is definitely something that Vick should learn from.
Vick’s Uncertainty Hits Its Peak
What we often forget about players and coaches is that they’re human. Human beings have emotions. Just as these human beings who serve as athletes and coaches feel happiness and excitement, they also feel sadness and discontentment. And what we’re seeing is Vick becoming disenchanted with the laborious process of turning Norfolk State into a contender. It was never going to be an easy journey.
But if Vick does indeed turn Norfolk State into a contender, the rewards for it will be overflowing. But the uncertainty he’s showcasing—even as he discusses the next moves to prepare the team for success in the offseason—is coming to a head. Even though we know that Vick is returning for his second season with the team (as he’s announced his recruiting class and has done interviews indicating as much), what he said in this episode and the preview of the season finale showcase what we’ve seen throughout the series.
No matter what happens next season, Vick should certainly try to find some joy in the process and keep his head up, because his disposition rubs off on every coach and player as part of the team. It will be interesting to see how this season ends and ultimately what’s next in store for the Spartans.
The Coach Vick Experience is on BET on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. Eastern, 9 p.m. Central.
