A person with direct knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press that Arizona State offensive coordinator Mike Norvell will be the new head football coach at Memphis.
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Since posting that tweet, several other writers across the country joined in saying Norvell is the hire.
University president M. David Rudd said Thursday on Twitter that the school “hired a great football coach today” and will hold a news conference Friday afternoon.
WMC Action News 5 will bring the new head coach’s introduction to you live at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Norvell’s first order of business: Beg QB Paxton Lynch to stay for another year.
Norvell will have his work cut out for him at Memphis early on into his head coaching career, but if he can call plays like he did early in his tenure with the Arizona State Sun Devils, then he should stand a strong chance of succeeding with the Tigers. He also worked under Graham at Pittsburgh and Tulsa.
Fuente left the Tigers with a 9-3 record and bowl-bound again, though he won’t coach them in that game. Norvell, 34, has coached under Todd Graham his whole profession still has ties to the region, taking part in at Central Arkansas & growing up in Texas. He was later a graduate assistant coach for the Bears.
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However, Norvell had come under fire this past season as the offense sputtered during a 6-6 regular season.
