NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Norfolk State football has not had the start it had hoped for, but the Spartans still have plenty to chase with their MEAC schedule still ahead of them.
As NSU gets set to kick off its conference slate this Saturday, head coach Michael Vick is shaking things up. Vick confirmed changes to his coaching staff during his weekly media availability Tuesday afternoon and, even though he did not specify what exactly the changes were, felt it necessary to take action to help his team reach success.
"We've obviously, in this game, got to look for opportunities to grow and get better and put our players in the best situation possible," he said. "My job as a coach is to figure that out, so if we've got to play musical chairs, that's what we're going to do."
The Spartans have lost five games in a row, are 1-6 on the season and have yet to pick up a victory over a Division I opponent. Coming off a bye week, Vick is making the moves ahead of the program's MEAC opener against South Carolina State this Saturday. NSU has held leads in each of its last four games, including double-digit advantages in two of them.
"There are coaches that are no longer with the team, but that's my job as a leader," Vick noted. "Not to say that it hasn't been a success in some areas, it's just that what I expect is far more than what we've been getting so far."
Raising the standard for the program is one of Vick's main focal points. Staff shake-ups aren't something he takes lightly, but says the constant evaluation and scrutiny coaches fall under on a regular basis bring expectations.
"When you have a moment and you see an opportunity to potentially make changes, you do it at the right time," he pointed out. "What's done is done, I look forward to what's going to happen next and to continue to evaluate. That's my job as a head coach."
With the adjustments having been made, the green and gold look to start a streak of a different nature Saturday in their homecoming against the Bulldogs. Vick said his team is approaching the rest of the campaign like the Spartans are 0-0 with their entire MEAC schedule in front of them.
"We're trying to move forward in the right fashion," he said. "I think this week is most important, just getting to the game, seeing how our guys react, just getting a feel for what we do well and what we don't do well. My decision was to make sure that moving forward, I know exactly what we need to be successful as a program."
Norfolk State and South Carolina State kick off at 2 p.m. Saturday at Dick Price Stadium.
