Norvell Has Been Fired.

[Wishboned]

Bruce Feldman ‏@BruceFeldmanCFB 5m5 minutes ago
Big staff shake-up coming at #Oklahoma. Co-OC Jay Norvell is out, source tells @FoxSports.

Confirmed by DOK

http://newsok.com/bob-stoops-fires-c...rticle/5381758

ORMAN — Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops has fired co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach Jay Norvell, sources confirmed to The Oklahoman.

Photo - University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) football Co-Offensive Coordinator Jay Norvell talks about his 2014 recruiting class in the Adrian Peterson Meeting Room at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2014. Photo by Steve Sisney, The Oklahoman
University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) football Co-Offensive Coordinator Jay Norvell talks about his 2014 recruiting class in the Adrian Peterson Meeting Room at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2014. Photo by Steve Sisney, The Oklahoman
The news was first reported by FoxSports.com’s Bruce Feldman.

News of Norvell’s ouster comes less than a week after the Sooners scored only six points in a 34-point Russell Athletic Bowl loss to Clemson.

And this could be just the beginning of a drastic coaching staff overhaul.

According to sources close to the program, the only OU assistant coaches with firm job security are running backs coach Cale Gundy, offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh and defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery.

Norvell’s contract ran through May 31, 2015, and he was also given the same raise last summer to bring his salary to $455,000.

He joined the Oklahoma staff in 2008 as receivers coach, and was promoted to co-offensive coordinator in 2010.

His career includes stops at Wisconsin, Iowa State, the Indianapolis Colts, the Oakland Raiders, Nebraska and UCLA.

He is unique as someone who has coached in both a BCS National Championship Game (2009 with Oklahoma) and a Super Bowl (2003 with Oakland).

Norvell joined the Colts’ staff in 1998, allowing him to be there for the very beginning of the Peyton Manning era. Norvell coached receivers, including superstar Marvin Harrison.

In four seasons playing for Norvell, Harrison caught 385 passes for 5,376 yards and 48 touchdowns.

Norvell played college football at Iowa in the early-to mid 1980s. He and Stoops were teammates during Norvell’s first few years there.

Norvell was an All-Big Ten defensive back in 1985, when he intercepted a league-high seven passes and the Hawkeyes were Big Ten Champions.

He coached tight ends during his two seasons with the Raiders, and coached quarterbacks with both Nebraska and UCLA, but he’s spent most of his career working with wide receivers.

[SoonerorLater]

Well, it's a start.

[Wishboned]

Hopefully, unlike Jay's receivers, it's catching.

[cherokeebrewer]

"According to sources close to the program, the only OU assistant coaches with firm job security are running backs coach Cale Gundy, offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh and defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery"

This is the part I like best. Good wishes for Coach Norvel...

[ouduckhunter]

It's time! Get the rest of the staff changes handled, and let's move forward!

[pappy]

"According to sources close to the program, the only OU assistant coaches with firm job security are running backs coach Cale Gundy, offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh and defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery"

This is the part I like best. Good wishes for Coach Norvel...

They're the only ones who have earned the job security. ... I wonder if this means DGB is going to declare?

[Judge Smails]

That explains why I saw Josh at the What-a-Burger filling out a job application today.

[BoulderSooner79]

So Josh has been promoted by removing the "co-" from his title ?


(Sorry, couldn't resist)

[BoulderSooner79]

That explains why I saw Josh at the What-a-Burger filling out a job application today.

I worked at the What-a-Burger at 36th and MacArthur in high school. Not a terrible gig.

[cherokeebrewer]

They're the only ones who have earned the job security. ... I wonder if this means DGB is going to declare?

I suspect he was going anyway, but this likely nails it. If Josh Huepel is not fired or demoted, we may have a rebellion on our hands...I think he will be.

[Widescreen]

Hope Norvell catches on somewhere else quickly. Never excited when someone loses their job but I do think things needed to move in a different direction.

[SoonerorLater]

I worked at the What-a-Burger at 36th and MacArthur in high school. Not a terrible gig.

I bet you're the guy who shorted me those ketchup packets.

[BoulderSooner79]

I bet you're the guy who shorted me those ketchup packets.

Ketchup has more sugar in it than most people realize - I was looking after your health.

[aurorasooner]

Well, it's a start.

One thing fans don't know is who was actually in charge of our pitiful offense and the pitiful offensive formations and if there was any contributing micromanagement from the top.
Hopefully Norvell isn't just a scapegoat in hope that the fans will wholeheartedly accept Heupel back as OC and we'll see the same old uninspiring pathetic crap next year. Now if Heupel was being handcuffed by this crappy offensive system by meddling from the top and they intend to turn him loose, then I don't have any problems with giving him another year, and only another year. It's hard for fans to know.
However, I'm skeptical, that HCBS can really make the right CEO-type decisions regardless of his personal allegiances to do what's best.
Sure hope I'm wrong about that, but this team's on-the-field performance next year will tell us if he can correct things or if we're headed in the exact same direction as Texass was under Mack, just getting rid of a few assistants, when that wasn't the main problem.
A couple of things are for sure, 1) that while this "Arizona coach's connection" may have brought us a few top-notch Cali recruits, they can't coach/game-plan for (*&^ on game-day/game-week against a quality opponent and their in-game management and communication, especially in critical situations, was/is just awful and embarrassing. 2) HCBS '''ain't going to get this thing turned around this year bunkered down from some Florida golf course/vacation beach home or calling it in from Europe to his brother.

[8timechamps]

I'm surprised this was the first move. I knew that Norvell was in that gray area, and could be let go, or could have been given more time. Guess the area wasn't so gray.

It's time for some fresh perspective at the WR position, and we haven't exactly been bringing in elite talent either. Considering Shepard was almost a lock to pick OU, that doesn't leave a lot a big time players Norvell has landed recently. Then there was the poor performance from the group (sans Shep) this year.

I'm a little surprised the cuts are happening before NSD, but in today's college football, time is money.

[BoulderSooner79]

I'm not assuming this is the first - just the first made public. Norvell may have wanted it this way to make it widely known he is available. I don't think he'll have any problem landing a new position, but he might have to take a step down in pay and responsibility for now.

[birddog]

So Josh has been promoted by removing the "co-" from his title ?


(Sorry, couldn't resist)

Official title for Josh now is ordinator.

[SoonerMarkVA]

If you look at how incredibly awful the WR development has been, this is the least surprising move, next to firing MS (who of course presents its own issues) or BJW for the incredibly awful performance of the secondary.

[OkieThunderLion]

I think some combo of Kish/BJW/Mike are next to go.

I'd like to see BJW stay, in Merv's role.

[OkieThunderLion]

I'm not assuming this is the first - just the first made public.

I think you're wise!