Former wide receivers coach Jay Norvell likely back with Sooners Move comes after stint as UCLA offensive coordinator Former wide receivers coach Jay Norvell likely back with Sooners
Oklahoma is expected to name Jay Norvell as wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator sometime this week, sources have confirmed.
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Norvell, who was offensive coordinator at UCLA this past season, told the Lincoln (Neb.) Journal-Star on Wednesday that he has accepted the OU position.
"I had some pretty good opportunities,” Norvell said to the Journal-Star. "It was just too appealing to be at Oklahoma with all of the talent it has returning. It's a hell of a group. There were some other coordinator positions I looked at, but there wasn't the right combination of talent and (institutional) support."
Even with Malcolm Kelly leaving early for the NFL Draft, OU still has leading receiver Juaquin Iglesias coming back next season.
The Sooners have also received verbal commitments from two of the top wide receiver recruits in the country in Josh Jarboe and Jameel Owens.
OU is also trying to land Julio Jones, the nation's top wide receiver prospect.
The Sooners could sell Jones on the fact that Norvell tutored perennial NFL all-pro wide receiver Marvin Harrison during Harrison's early years with the Indianapolis Colts.
Norvell, 44, will replace Kevin Sumlin, who left to become the head coach at Houston after the Fiesta Bowl.
Norvell had been a finalist to succeed Joe Tiller at Purdue, but late last week the Boilermakers tabbed Eastern Kentucky coach Danny Hope.
Norvell also reportedly turned down the chance to join Texas A&M's coaching staff.
Sooner coach Bob Stoops and Norvell have a connection that dates back to when they played together at Iowa in the early 1980s.
After coaching stints at Wisconsin, Iowa State and the Colts, Stoops hired Norvell in 2002 to be OU's wide receivers coach.
But Norvell only stayed in Norman a month, opting to leave to coach tight ends for the Oakland Raiders under coach Bill Callahan.
When Callahan became coach at Nebraska in 2004, Norvell went with him as his offensive coordinator.
Like Mike Leach at Texas Tech, however, Callahan called the offensive plays.
For that reason, Norvell left Nebraska before last season to be the Bruins' offensive coordinator and play-caller. But UCLA fired head coach Karl Dorrell last month after a 6-6 regular-season record, leaving Norvell looking for a job again.
Note: The sentence: "Sooner coach Bob Stoops and Norvell have a connection that dates back to when they played together at Purdue in the early 1980s," was incorrect. They played together at Iowa, not Purdue.
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I guess what I'm saying is Mack is surrounding himself with football minded coaches that can put together game plans. I think that was the difference in the '06 game. I wouldn't have mattered much in '05 they had better talent and we were really down that year. Peterson's ankle injury, inexperienced line, quarterback, receivers, defensive backs etc.
Mack again is trying to buy a championship. I guess they have the money do to so.
Christopher, I agree Mack Brown has outcoached Stoops OFF the field in the past with his great recruiting classes, but the kids are now figuring out that Brown and his staff can't outcoach Stoops and his staff ON the field. Texas recruits great players and then dumbs them down.
Matt - Agreed on Chow: he's very good, but not great, and he's certainly no certain savior of our offense. And I am pretty sure he has very little interest in living in Norman, when Brentwood (UCLA) is beckoning.
Cecil, I'd say that all of your assesments are fair. I dont mean to imply that Wilson does not have weaknesses. I am just tired of ignorant bashing by certain fans, especially when they are good coaches who are, for the most part, doing what they are paid to do. My main issues was with the assumption that Norm Chow is so great. I would add that when he was at USC they were able to out athelete most teams. He wasnt able to accomplish that in the NFL. The defensive side of the ball is where I have the most concern. As far as Heupel, Im not sure that he would be much different than what we have now as far as overall schemes. I think he would add the match up element that you are talking about. Thats going only by what I observed of him as a player though.
Matt - One more thought on where Wilson can improve: I don't sense that he devises his schemes with enough emphasis on finding individual weaknesses, i.e. players who can't do something well, in the opposing defenses. Rather, I think he schemes against static models of the opposing team, i.e. x's and o's on a whiteboard. I've always heard that the really good coaches, like Belichek or Walsh, focused a great deal of their film analysis on exploiting individual tendencies rather than theoretical approaches to gaps or spaces that "should be there" due to alignments or spacing. Anyway, I am sure he does some of this, but it sure seems when I watch the games that our schemes (formations, variations, etc.) are very vanilla and generic. We rely way too much on, as Switzer would say, "out atha-leting" the opposition, which in an era of limited scholarships and rising resources amongst rivals is an outdated approach. All in all, it's good to be a Sooner fan these days, it's just getting towards time to add another crystal football to the trophy room: Bob's needs at least one more in the next 2 years to get himself back into the "great coaches" category.
Matt - Agreed, the defensive scheme was weak, weak, weak in the Fiesta. Venables is guilty, too. Playing the LB's 7 yards off the ball and not stuffing 8 in the box displayed WAY too much belief in the bend, but don't break approach that Brent and Bob love. Against a 90% run team, that's just plain stupid: the "break" against such a team is failing to stop the run, "bending" means big gaps which lead to "breaking" runs. Just dumb. I hope Brent learned a lesson: just because someone lines up in a spread, doesn't mean you go to a spread defense.
And, Grant, I agree on Heupel, but with this caveat: he's got to start injecting whatever we all think he has into the game plan. I think what we all think he'll bring is a more "Leach-like" mentality, i.e. a pass first mentality that takes advantage of all 5 receiving playmakers. I've yet to hear or see proof that Josh is really wired that way.
As long as we're setting the table for Josh Heupel, I say do whatever. If Kevin Wilson's offense turns in the numbers again, some Bowling Green, Southern Miss, or even a Northwestern will want him. Then elevate Heupel to co-coord. Then when the next guy (Norvell, I guess) gets tabbed, Josh is there. I'll take Josh in 3 or 4 years over Major Applewhite. No offense to Major. I just think Josh's love for OU makes him really valuable.
Granted, Cecil, but I think there are other factors to consider. I dont believe that the offense was the problem against WVU or Tech, that was a defensive problem. Colorado was a meltdown for the entire team in the second half. ISU was a poor offensive performance. I think part of our offensive issues were our indecision at personell. Especially running backs. Its fine to have several guys, but they need to be situational backs and your best back (Murray, Im sure we can all agree) should get the bulk of the carries. Brown is solid in short yardage. We just never really found an identity, but I think that has a lot to do with a lack of leadership on the field.
...and, USC's offense never missed a beat when he left. Im not saying that Chow isnt a good coach, just dont act like he is THAT much better than Wilson. I'll bet if you look at the numbers from the '04 USC season and this season for OU. I'd be willing to bet that they are similar with less PROVEN talent.
Matt - Yes, Wilson is a "good" coordinator. But his offenses have fizzled in big games and he's slow to adjust, if at all, when his scheme for that game fails to work (see 2008 Fiesta Bowl). Perhaps Stoops is the problem and Kevin feels handcuffed given Bob's overall "tightening" since 1999. I would not fire Wilson, but he's got to show more development in making adjustments in real time and he needs to develop a more "flexible" playbook.
I think Wilson is a good coordinator. I dont know how you people can expect more than roughly 35 TD passes from a freshman QB, which is the record. The old complaint was he didnt throw to the tight ends, Gresham led the team in TD's. They also were in the top 5 in scoring, but just because Kelly didnt get the ball against Colorado or whatever stupid reasoning you can come up with. I think it is just impossible to please you people. Wilson has a better track record than Chow, beleive it or not. He coached a Northwestern offense that played way over its head and turned an average tailback into a Heisman contender. He revived OU's running game in 02 (Q's senior year) after it was non-existent in 2001. What has Chow done? His offense at Tennessee was terrible. He won a back-door national title in 03 after beating an average Michigan team. He had a great offense that lit us up in 04 but that offense had probably 6-7 future 1st rounders on it. (Leinhart, Bush, White, Jarrett, and a couple O-linemen)and had a great defense behind him that was also loaded with NFL talent. I probably could have coached that team. This year our best offensive player declared early and he is projected late 1st round, possibly sliding to the second round.
Stoops did play at Iowa. He may have played intermural at Purdue during a weekend tho, so great insightful writing on that part. Norm Chow would be a great addition to the OU staff. The only story I want to see...the only story I want to see...is Kevin Wilson accepting the OC at SDSU.
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Mack again is trying to buy a championship. I guess they have the money do to so.
And, Grant, I agree on Heupel, but with this caveat: he's got to start injecting whatever we all think he has into the game plan. I think what we all think he'll bring is a more "Leach-like" mentality, i.e. a pass first mentality that takes advantage of all 5 receiving playmakers. I've yet to hear or see proof that Josh is really wired that way.