ATLANTA — Michael Vick’s wife, Kijafa, often teases her husband whenever he’s leaving for a business trip.

“She’ll be like, ‘Bye Coach Vick.’ And I’m like, 'Man,'” the former Pro Bowl quarterback said, smiling and shaking his head. “I don’t know if I want to be called ‘Coach’ yet. Only by my players.”

For a player whose legacy was defined by his early years with the Atlanta Falcons as a Madden cover star and then his NFL comeback with the Philadelphia Eagles following a stint in federal prison, Vick has transitioned from his 2017 retirement to the next phase of his football career: 38-year-old coach.

Vick is a face for the start-up Alliance of American Football league, as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Legends, one of eight teams set to kick off an inaugural 12-week season one week after the Feb. 3 Super Bowl.

“I didn’t think I ever wanted to coach,” said Vick, who spent time this season as an NFL analyst on Fox. “But in some ways, I feel like I’d be cheating myself by (not coaching). Talking about the game at Fox, I get excited like I’m out there playing again. But, it’s still not touching individuals (directly). When (the Alliance) opportunity came about, I felt like I could really make a difference and give back to the game. …Once I found out it was in Atlanta, I thought it was a home run.”

Vick's only prior professional coaching experience came as a training camp intern on coach Andy Reid’s staff with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017.

The Alliance, which will air games on CBS, wants to be an alternative to the NFL, with slightly different rules — including no kickoffs, only two-point conversions after touchdowns and a shorter play clock. Players will come from a variety of places, with most recently out of college who missed the cut for an NFL team.

More:Opinion: New England Patriots running through all of their options on way to Super Bowl

More:ESPN report gives inside look at Cleveland Browns' dysfunction, infighting with ownership

Regional drafts will be held, keeping prominent college players near their former campuses. Fans eventually will be able to bet on stats and data in real-time with help of sensors in players' uniforms as part of a unique in-game gambling strategy with MGM announced by founders Charlie Ebersol and Bill Polian last fall.

“I’m glad I’m one of the guys at the forefront of helping it all come together,” Vick says. “I think the Alliance, as far as talent goes, for guys who played in college, this is the next step. A lot of these guys are determined to get another shot at playing in the NFL, to seize the moment. You keep hearing, this is their second chance.”

Vick started his career with the Falcons as the No. 1 draft pick in 2001 as a standout dual-threat QB out of Virginia Tech.

Yet the second half of Vick's career was defined by a second chance. In 2008, he spent 18 months in federal prison for his role in a dogfighting ring. He signed with the Eagles in 2009 and played his last full season with the Steelers in 2015. In his prime, he was an electric player — finishing his career with 133 touchdown passes and 36 rushing scores.

“The great thing about Michael is, he’s been all the way to the top and all the way to the bottom, right here in Atlanta as a matter of fact,” said Brad Childress, a former NFL coach who briefly served as Vick's boss with the Alliance before stepping down as head coach Jan. 11.

“When (Vick) speaks to players, whether he’s talking about the game or life, he has a rapt and attentive audience because he’s been through it all. Usually whatever he has to say, whether answering a question or (helping during) a drill, is something insightful.”

Kevin Coyle, previously the Legends' defensive coordinator, replaced Childress last week — making Vick the team's top assistant. Coyle previously was an assistant with the Cincinnati Bengals and the Miami Dolphins.

Childress said Vick was a “quick study” when it came to digesting the playbook to convey it to players, and he was impressed by the player-coach transition he noticed before his departure. .

It starts with preparation.

“Sometimes you find a pro football player who wants to coach but doesn’t work. They think because they’ve played they’ve got it covered,” said Childress, an assistant under Andy Reid when Vick interned with the Chiefs. “Not Michael. When he was in Kansas City, he really rolled up his sleeves and put in all the time with meetings and practice planning. The way he worked with (then-Chiefs QBs) Alex Smith, Patrick Mahomes and Tyler Bray showed the type of rapport he can build with his quarterbacks.”

Vick understands how important it is to build a strong player-coach dynamic.

"I think the offensive coordinator-quarterback relationship can be the most important relationship on the field," said Vick, who will be mentoring former Georgia QB Aaron Murray. "I always had coaches that cared more about me as a person than as a player, so that’s rubbed off on me and I expect I’ll be the same way.”

Vick sees his opportunity working as offensive coordinator as the perfect way to launch his second career.

“Maybe one day down the road, I’ll be a head coach,” says Vick. “But certainly right now it’s about growing as a coach here in a situation that could be really good for a long time. Hopefully, in six or seven years, guys will look back and say I played for Mike and the Alliance, and eventually had an opportunity to play in the NFL.”