Louisville Football: Vince Tyra’s shortlist post-Jeff Brohm
By Nick Conner
Mike Norvell – Memphis
Head Coach
Mike Norvell is leading his Memphis Tigers into the AAC Championship on Saturday against #8 UCF, after another solid regular season. Norvell, who managed to not get snagged in the crazy coaching carousel of 2018 will surely not last another year in the American Athletic Conference. Norvell seems to have all the tools to lead a bigger program and Louisville could be a good fit.
Pros:
Winning
All Mike Norvell knows how to do as head coach is win football games. His Tigers have won eight and ten the last two seasons, and have a chance to win their ninth game this Saturday against #8 UCF. Norvell’s Tigers lost to UCF last year in the AAC Championship game 2OT’s 62-55, and had the Golden Knights on the ropes in early October before losing 31-30. Norvell’s teams have won and played well against the best of their conference. Would this translate to the ACC Atlantic where Florida State and Clemson come knocking annually?
More Points
Norvell’s offenses have been electric in his three season at Memphis. After averaging 39 points a game in 2016, the Tigers averaged the second best in the nation 45.5 last season, and have averaged 44 (6th best) this season. The Tigers are good for 500+ yards/game and throw the ball with ease, and run the ball effectively when necessary. Norvell is a young offensive mind who knows x’s and o’s (and will probably beat Milton-less UCF on Saturday). Norvell’s high-octane offensive scheme fits well with current Louisville players and recruits and he could get the Cards back to their high-scoring ways.
Cons:
Fuente’s Guys
While Norvell has been quickly successful in three seasons at Memphis, he is still winning with the fruit of the labor of his predecessor, Justin Fuente (Virginia Tech HC). Fuente turned around the Tigers program who won just seven games in his first two years in Memphis before nineteen in his final two before jumping to Blacksburg. Fuente has only been gone for three years and his impact on the program lives on through the talent that Norvell has won, and competed with UCF with. Can Norvell reignite a program with all the tools to land great recruiting classes and win with his own guys consistently?
Big Money
Norvell is currently the highest-paid non-Power 5 coach in the country. Last December Norvell signed a 5 year/$13 million extension with Memphis with pays Norvell roughly $2.6 mil annually. This is much higher than Satterfield who has a base salary around $500,000 and Day who makes $1 million annually. If Norvell wants to come to Louisville he will be seeking big money, and Petrino’s buyout still will be looming in the back of AD Vince Tyra’s checkbook.