KCKingdom
Fansided

Kansas State Football: Potential head coach candidate Mike Norvell

By John McCarty

NEW ORLEANS, LA - SEPTEMBER 28: Head coach Mike Norvell of the Memphis Tigers talks to an official during the first half against the Tulane Green Wave at Yulman Stadium on September 28, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - SEPTEMBER 28: Head coach Mike Norvell of the Memphis Tigers talks to an official during the first half against the Tulane Green Wave at Yulman Stadium on September 28, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Memphis has found success under current coach Mike Norvell. Could he be the guy to stroll the sidelines for Kansas State football?

The search to find Bill Snyder’s replacement at Kansas State will be a well-thought out one. Mike Norvell of Memphis could make the shortlist of coaches to consider for the gig.

The Memphis Tigers have become one of the top teams not found in the Power 5 group of conference football programs. In what is now his third season as head coach of the Memphis program, Mike Norvell has the Tigers preparing for their third straight bowl game. During Norvell’s three seasons at Memphis, the Tigers have won 26 games and finished 25th in the polls in 2017.

Norvell took over Memphis after being the offensive coordinator at Arizona State. Before that, he had followed Todd Graham, starting at Tulsa, following to Pittsburgh for the 2011 season and then to Arizona State until hired at Memphis in 2016. Norvell had been the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arizona State and during his career has coached both wide receivers and quarterbacks.

Related Story. Potential Head Coach Candidate Seth Littrell. light

Justin Fuente, his predecessor that eventually landed at Virginia Tech was able to turn Memphis around. In four years, Fuente recorded a record of 26-23 at Memphis, but the first two seasons saw the Tigers win a total of just seven games. Memphis would win a total of 19 games over the last two seasons of the Fuente regime.

More from Kansas State Wildcats

Norvell is obviously a good offensive mind and has been able to coach offense at multiple spots. However, there are concerns about Norvell, a lot of them.

First, while his programs have done well in the American Conference, their defense has left something to be desired. Going against Missouri this season, Memphis allowed a staggering 65 points on defense, along with surrendering 41 points to East Carolina, 40 points to Tulsa and 35 points to lowly South Alabama. Much like his former boss Todd Graham, defense certainly appears to be optional.

Next, there is his contract. A year ago, Norvell signed a five-year extension with Memphis that would pay him 13 million over five seasons. For those wondering, yes, that is a massive contract for a coach at a non Power 5 program.

What kind of recruiter is Norvell? We don’t really know yet. The young coach (still only 36) could be an energetic personality Kansas State desperately needs. However, will his offense (and lack of defense) be what works at K-State?

It’s hard to imagine Norvell being the guy in for Gene Taylor as the head guy of Kansas State football. Not yet at least. The Cats could do worse, but Mike Norvell certainly isn’t the candidate Seth Littrell was and won’t placate the fan base like Jim Leavitt would.

Home/Kansas State Wildcats