Sometimes, the biggest challenge is figuring out how to get the best out of the players already on the roster. Norfolk State’s coach Michael Vick learned that lesson from one of college football’s most successful coaches, Nick Saban, whose blunt advice gave him a reality check on the limitations of coaching.

Vick, the former NFL quarterback now the head coach at Norfolk State, recalled a conversation with Saban on the Brandon Graham Unblocked podcast. According to him, Saban’s words were a lesson that coaching alone cannot solve every problem that a player faces.

Talking about what Nick Saban told him, Michael Vick said, “Coach leaned over to me and was like, ‘Mike, listen. You can’t coach bad players to be good.’ He was like, ‘You can sit here and tell me all you want to tell me about we did this.’ He said, ‘You can’t go coach bad players to be good.’”

“And not to say that I had bad players. Bad players can come in all different forms. You can be talented but undisciplined. Disciplined but not talented. You know, and so you got to weave through that.”

Recalling the conversation, Vick explained that Saban challenged the idea that a coach can overcome every roster problem through adjustments and instructions. But he emphasized that a coach cannot transform every struggling player into a successful one.

However, Vick made it clear that the advice was not about having players who lacked talent. He explained that weakness can take different forms, even among athletes with physical ability. Coaches must identify the differences before determining how best to build their teams.

“Now when I look at a player, I understand that there’s going to be some flaws, but what are the strong suits that you have to make me say, ‘Okay, I can move forward with you.’ Or I’m going to say, ‘I can’t move forward with you,” Vick added.

For Vick, the lesson carried significance as he took on the responsibility of leading Norfolk State in 2024. Transitioning from an established career to coaching needs a different understanding, with success depending on growing players, establishing accountability, and building a competitive environment.

Norfolk State had three All-MEAC honorees under Vick in 2025: return specialist Jaylen White, defensive end David Ojiegbe, and linebacker Terique Miles. However, the team finished with a 1-11 record.

Vick played 13 seasons in the NFL. He was drafted first overall by the Atlanta Falcons in 2001. He announced in 2017 that he officially retired from the league after he sat out the entire 2016 season. After his retirement, Vick joined Fox Sports as an NFL studio analyst on pregame and other broadcasts. But left that to become the 19th head coach of the Spartans.