If he is not fired, I will leave the Memphis tigers football head coach, as he has a misunderstanding with his star player.
On the eve of Memphis’ first fall practice last week, junior center Drew Kyser was asked if and how Mike Norvell has changed in his second season as head coach. Kyser shrugged. “To me, he’s still the same,” Kyser remarked. And Kyser wasn’t alone.
“I don’t think he’s changed much,” senior safety Jonathan Cook stated. “He’s picking up right where he left off,” offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey explained. Yes, in many respects, Norvell is the same coach that took over at Memphis in December 2015, leaving his job as Arizona State’s offensive coordinator to become a head coach for the first time at age 34.
Players claim he’s still as passionate and demanding as ever. Practices are arranged similarly.
In other areas, Norvell stated that he has learnt and developed since his first season. “You know, I feel a lot more comfortable with the balance (of the job),” he remarked following practice on Saturday. “I’m always going to be involved offensively, but being able to come over and work with our defensive guys throughout the day — obviously, we’ve got great coaches who do an excellent job, but I believe it’s critical that we all have an impact on one another. So I’ve got a much better grasp of that balance and how to handle it.”
Early in practice. Friday, for example, the defense huddled on the eastern sideline before a team practice versus the offensive. Last season, Norvell would spend the majority of these periods on the other sideline, addressing the offensive huddle or speaking with quarterback Riley Ferguson. On this particular day, however, he was with defensive coordinator Chris Ball, supporting the defensive players. “If you guys play relentlessly, we can be special,” he urged them. “But you have to pursue the ball. You have to play wisely. “You have to communicate.”
