End of the season, still pressure

So, we have reached the end of the road for season one of BET’s The Coach Vick Experience. It was indeed an interesting journey. I covered the series and the Norfolk State season fervently, from the rumors of Michael Vick ultimately going to Norfolk State and his eventual hiring, to the loss to Howard University and even the recent offseason pickups to start 2026.

It was interesting to see the season from a different vantage point, with both cinematic game recaps and hearing Vick’s thoughts on what was occurring in real time, as well as the triumphs and struggles that the team faced. And I must admit, it was also nice seeing myself displayed on screen for our coverage of more Norfolk State, even though the takes were sometimes critical, as we hoped to see the team become what it could be.

I think SMAC Entertainment did a great job editing the show and presenting a narrative that was worthy of eight weeks of television every Wednesday night. Sometimes there wasn’t a lot to showcase, as some of the on-the-field play was rough. But the series itself was a great entry point for non-college football fans and a celebration of HBCU football in the midst of watching Norfolk State struggle to gain success on the field.

But it’s still clear that Vick has a lot of growing up to do when it comes to being a coach, and we all should expect better for season two of The Coach Vick Experience, both on the field and potentially back on cable television. As I said last week, Vick’s disposition ultimately rubs off on the team. I believe that oftentimes Vick is too quick to place blame on his players and his coaches and does not fully take account for the mistakes that he made.

He made a mistake in the quarterback situation, starting Israel Carter over Otto Khuns. That point we’ve discussed multiple times, both here on ClutchPoints as well as in our official recap of the show on HBCU Pulse. But even the disregard that he showed for Vincent Berry in the exit interviews in the middle of the episode shows once again he’s missing the point. Unless there are some issues and struggles that Berry had off-camera that led to a breaking point for Vick, he should have had a cordial conversation with him and used that conversation as a potential development point for him as a quarterback.

I think where Vick lacked in several elements that are on him is development and decision-making. There is no reason why it took him the final game of the season against Howard to finally sit Kyree Moyston if the penalties were that huge of an issue. And as we saw Kijafa say in the show, maybe it was the wrong decision for him to hire so many of his friends versus proven professionals with whom he can have a clean slate—any relationship that’s not already built on a pre-existing bond.

These are rookie mistakes that I hope Vick can eventually learn from. But he has to reevaluate the “why” of this season. Why did they perform below expectations? Why was the offense quality, but the defense tended to not be good enough? Why were penalties such a big issue, and how can they be curtailed? And how can he, as a leader, best instill a team culture that leads to victories, both in and out of conference?

I firmly believe that next year’s season will be bright for Vick. I believe he will win a minimum of four games, with several out-of-conference games in which the Spartans will ultimately be the favorite. I also believe that they could have the upper hand against Division I HBCUs such as Hampton, Morgan State, and Howard.

But again, Vick has to realize that this isn’t a rush job. This might not be a two-year rebuild to then move to an FBS school-type timeline. This might take three, four, or five years to fully accomplish what he sets out to. But if he truly believes that the future is green and gold. The time is now to make sure that there is a set culture and identity for next year that can vault them into the contention conversation in the MEAC.

Ultimately, BET’s The Coach Vick Experience was a great television journey, and I look forward to seeing if the show will come back next season.