If any Group of 5 coach is going to get a promotion during this coaching carousel cycle, then it has to be Mike Norvell of the Memphis Tigers. Norvell took over for Justin Fuente back in 2016 and all he has done since then in win at least eight games a year a supposed Mid-South basketball school. Memphis controls its own destiny to reach the Cotton Bowl Classic this January.
If Norvell wants to stay at Memphis like Matt Campbell at Iowa State, he most certainly can. But we have to wonder if the Todd Graham disciple is poised to be better than his mentor professionally? Norvell was on Graham’s staff at Arizona State, so he is familiar with the Pac-12 landscape at least to some degree as a recruiter.
While he may not be USCs’ first choice, USC may not be his first choice either. The Arkansas native could very well wind up replacing Chad Morris as the Razorbacks head coach. He already dominates in that region of the country, albeit at a Group of 5 level. That may be his dream job, but maybe he needs to dream bigger and shoot for the USC gig.
For what Norvell might lack in pedigree as a head coach and knowledge of how to recruit at a high level in the West Coast, he has built a phenomenal culture with Memphis and one that could certainly translate at USC. Plus, he is an offensive-minded coach whose Memphis teams are an incredibly fun watch. In short, he could make the Trojans offense him in a year or so.