Just days before kickoff, the Atlanta Legends announced that offensive coordinator Michael Vick was stepping down from his position. At the time, head coach Kevin Coyle implied that Vick could stay with the team in some capacity, just not as a coordinator. We finally know what that role is, as the AAF head of football strategy Jeff Fisher announced Vick will take on a role with the league’s administrative body, specifically with player development.
AAF News: Michael Vick Shifts to Administrative Role
Vick won’t coach for the Legends this season, but he will remain in Atlanta as an “off-the-field” presence. Working alongside former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, Vick will help the league’s players develop while also monitoring and helping with their welfare. Vick will reportedly spend the majority of his time in Atlanta.
Vick initially agreed to be the Legends offensive coordinator under Brad Childress. An offensive-minded coach, the plan was for Childress to help develop Vick as both a play-caller and a coach. Vick spent the summer of 2018 as a coaching intern with the Kansas City Chiefs but never worked as a positional coach or coordinator before.
However, Childress resigned roughly one month before the start of the season. Now working with the defensive-minded Kevin Coyle, Vick had to shoulder a larger burden. Fisher said that things “got hard” for Vick without Childress’ guidance, as the scope of the job was too much for the inexperienced Vick to handle.
Vick will most likely remain close to Atlanta, which is good news for the fanbase. Entering the NFL in 2001, Vick quarterbacked the Atlanta Falcons from 2001 to 2006. During that time, Vick established himself as one of the most explosive and exciting players throughout the league. As a member of the Falcons, Vick threw for 11,505 yards and 71 touchdowns while adding an additional 3,859 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground. Of course, Vick’s tenure in Atlanta was cut short due to a dogfighting scandal which ended with an 18-month jail sentence and an additional two months of house arrest.
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