Memphis won’t have Mike Norvell calling the shots when they play Penn State in the Cotton Bowl.
According to ESPN, Norvell wrote a letter to fans of the Tigers announcing his decision to skip the bowl game and get to work with the Seminoles immediately after being hired by Florida State. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
Offensive line coach Ryan Silverfield has been named the interim head coach.
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This might sting for Memphis and the fans, but it’s the correct call. You just can’t have a coach that has one foot out the door.
Norvell is now running the Seminoles, and that’s where his attention should be and that’s the only place demanding his attention.
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The harsh reality of the situation is that Memphis likely won’t beat Penn State with Norvell coaching them anyway.
He might as well get a jumpstart at FSU, hit the recruiting trail and try to turn things around as fast as he can. He won’t be doing that by coaching in the Cotton Bowl.
Again, I understand fans being frustrated by this, but it ultimately won’t make much of a difference. PSU is going to roll them, and Norvell and things to do down in Tallahassee.
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Trust me, he’s going to need all the time he can find to make the Seminoles a winning program again.