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Michael Vick has finalized his coaching staff at Norfolk State University, hiring Buffalo Tight Ends coach Ron Whitcomb as the program's offensive coordinator. Vick announced the hire on the I Am Athlete Daily podcast.
“It's gonna be a guy named Rob Whitcomb. From the University of Buffalo, I think he's the guy that's hungry.
“We sat down on numerous occasions, went through a lot of film. Just bust it all down, chopped it up, and just trying to understand philosophy, and what it's gonna be, what it's gonna look like. You know, if I put this quarterback situation in front of you, how you gonna handle it?”
Vick continued praising Whitcomb's football acumen, saying, “If I put this quarterback situation in front of you, how you gonna handle it? You know, these type of like, just how, how are you going to piece this all together? And just in a small fraction, a small period of time, he really explained in detail how he was going to make the team better.
“And not only did he coach off good points, he coached off bad points too. So good plays and bad plays. And so on the bad plays, I was okay. That's how are you going to correct it? That's how you're going to break this film down and look at it.
“So you got to be real detailed when it comes down to that because that's how detailed you got to be. Not just with every position, but really with like the quarterback.”
Ron Whitcomb has been the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator at Buffalo for the past five seasons. In 2022, Buffalo's tight ends recorded 32 receptions for 300 yards with Robbie Mangas leading the group with 16 catches for 141 yards—the most by a UB tight end since 2019.
“Tight ends Trevor Borland and Nicholas Fronczak earned spots on the Academic All-MAC team that year. Whitcomb also played a key role in helping the Bulls secure a victory over Georgia Southern in the Camellia Bowl, marking the program's third-ever bowl win.
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In 2021, under Whitcomb’s guidance, the tight-end group saw a significant increase in productivity compared to the previous two seasons. They combined for 27 receptions, 276 yards, and three touchdowns—their best performance since 2018. Tight ends Jake Molinich and Trevor Borland were also recognized on the Academic All-MAC team for their achievements.
Whitcomb joined Buffalo in 2020 as the team's scouting coordinator and offensive analyst. A Rochester native, he previously spent 12 seasons as the quarterbacks coach at Old Dominion (ODU), where he played a key role in developing standout players.
During his time at ODU, Whitcomb guided quarterback Blake LaRussa to an impressive 3,000-yard season with LaRussa averaging 274.1 passing yards per game—ranking 14th in FBS. Excluding two games where his playing time was limited, that average increased to 300 yards per game.
Whitcomb played a pivotal role in quarterback Taylor Heinicke's record-breaking career, guiding the four-year starter to become one of the most statistically accomplished quarterbacks in Division I history.
Heinicke ranks third all-time in total offense among FBS quarterbacks with 16,279 yards, sixth in career passing yards at 14,959, and fourth in career touchdown passes with 132—just two shy of third place held by Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell.
In 2012, under Whitcomb’s guidance, the Monarchs dominated offensively, leading the FCS in scoring (45.15 points per game), passing offense (393.85 yards per game), and total offense (548.23 yards per game). Heinicke delivered a historic season, leading the nation in passing yards, touchdowns, total offense, and points responsible for.
That year, he set FCS single-season records for passing yards (5,076) and completions, surpassing Steve McNair’s 1994 record of 4,863 yards for Alcorn State.
Whitcomb is expected to usher in a new offensive system for Norfolk State, as they struggled under former head coach Dawson Odoms to produce offense. They were last in the MEAC in passing at 132.5 yards per game, with their offensive system geared more towards a steady ground game. Still, they were fourth in the MEAC in scoring offense and last in the MEAC in total offense.
He's also expected to assist in the development of Norfolk State's QB room, as they recently landed James Wood III and Israel Carter. Both quarterbacks have FBS experience and Whitcomb will look to add them to his list of successes in his coaching career.
