Is it time for the deputy to become the sheriff of his own team?
It is no secret that ASU deputy head coach Mike Norvell is among the most highly regarded offensive minds in college football, but has the time come for him to leave Tempe to pursue a head coaching job of his own?
According to the Stanford Daily after ASU’s 26-10 win (the most points allowed by the No. 1-ranked Cardinal scoring defense all season), the answer is a resounding yes.
From one of the @StanfordSports reporters: "Norvell needs to get out of Tempe and find a head coaching job."
— Evan Webeck (@EvanWebeck) October 19, 2014
Following a disappointing, unbalanced amount of production under former offensive coordinators Noel Mazzone and Rich Olson, the numbers Norvell has put up in his first two and a half years have been a welcome sight.
Norvell has also made an impact on the recruiting trail, often appearing next to Graham on recruiting visits and bringing in more than his fair share of high-profile offensive recruits.
In recent years, ASU has brought in star freshmen such as running backs Demario Richard and Kalen Ballage, along with quarterbacks Manny Wilkins and Coltin Gerhart. The 2015 class appears strong as well for ASU, as Norvell has already landed quarterbacks Brady White (No. 7 pocket passer in the nation) and Bryce Perkins (No. 27 dual-threat quarterback in the nation).
This would not be the first time that Norvell’s status in Tempe is left in question. Last winter the 32-year-old coach drew interest from across the country, reportedly interviewing for the Arkansas State head coaching position and being linked to the offensive coordinator position at Florida.
Florida has not made formal contact with Ariz St OC Mike Norvell, but there have been some feelers put out about Gators coordinator job
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) December 12, 2013
In response, ASU promoted the then-offensive-coordinator to a new position: deputy head coach. So, as long as Graham remains at the helm for the Sun Devils, Norvell is expected to be the coach-in-waiting.
But how long can he wait? It once appeared that with Graham’s reputation of job-hopping it would be just a matter of time for Norvell to step into his shoes, but with his recent $500,000 donation to the new Sun Devil Stadium renovation project, it appears Graham is pretty serious about staying at his “dream job” in Tempe.
So where would Norvell land?
Tulsa — This easily makes the most sense from both perspectives. With current Golden Hurricanes coach Bill Blankenship on the ropes with a 1-6 record this season, it is likely that Tulsa will be looking for a new head coach. With their familiarity with Norvell (he served as their wide receivers coach from 2007–10), it is quite likely that they’ll take a look at the young coach. For Norvell, it appears to be a solid first stop as a head coach in a situation where he very likely could thrive en route to a bigger job in the future.
Kansas — Charlie Weis is already out of a job with the Jayhawks, and it appears quite clear that the program might be looking elsewhere for its new head coach. While it is possible that Kansas would want to avoid hiring another offensive-minded head coach after the Weis disaster, Norvell has done enough in Tempe to warrant at least a look from the rebuilding program. For Norvell, it is an opportunity to try to build his own program essentially from scratch while playing in a “Group of Five” conference in the Big XII.
Illinois — The Fighting Illini’s three wins this season haven’t exactly come against a murderer’s row: FCS opponent Youngstown State, Western Kentucky and Texas State. Things aren’t looking up for coach Tim Beckman, and a 6-18 overall record at Illinois might spell the end of his stay there. Norvell could bring youth to the position and revitalize the Illinois program in what appears to be a very top-heavy Big Ten conference.
Michigan — Brady Hoke’s time in Ann Arbor is pretty much over. After the concussion fiasco and a 3-4 start to the 2014 season, it appears that many are ready for a change, and possibly Norvell could be the answer. He’s not the sexy name that Jim Harbaugh is, but Norvell could very well make the most of his first head coaching situation if placed in position to succeed. In Michigan Norvell would walk into a prime recruiting location and already have several offensive weapons to work with around quarterback Shane Morris. While the recent offseason hire of former Alabama offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier and Norvell’s lack of head coaching experience make it unlikely, Norvell has done enough with the pieces he has had at ASU to at least draw consideration.
Florida — This situation is almost exactly the same as Michigan’s. Will Muschamp is on the ropes in Gainesville after a blowout loss to Missouri, and the heavily hyped hire of Kurt Roper as offensive coordinator has done little to improve the dreadful Gators attack. Florida has the pieces on defense and athletes on offense (along with huge recruiting pull) to work in Norvell’s system and potentially thrive. Also, the team allegedly put out feelers to ASU last offseason when it was thinking of bringing in Norvell as offensive coordinator. However, it is unlikely that Florida will take another chance on a first-time head coach after swinging and missing on Muschamp. The odds of this happening are low, but the potential dividends are high.
Graphics by Sam Presley.The Decision
I think Norvell will take a peek around the coaching carousel to see what jobs are out there, but I think he'll come back to Tempe in 2015. The return to Tulsa is intriguing, but it is unlikely that the Golden Hurricanes are in position to lure Norvell out from the great situation he currently has at ASU. The recent development of redshirt junior quarterback Mike Bercovici in Kelly’s absence sows promise for an ASU attack that is already expected to return junior running back D.J. Foster and a majority of the offensive line, and as long as the ASU attack keeps rolling, Norvell will continue to pick up offers. Over the course of the next few years, it is quite reasonable to assume that (a) Graham will leave and Norvell will get the job or (b) Norvell will land a high-profile job elsewhere.
Reach the reporter at fardaya@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @fardaya15
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Editor's Note: A previous version of this story included a photo which incorrectly identified former ASU assistant Joe Lorig as Mike Norvell. The misidentification has been corrected.
