Surely change is coming, but Norvell's comments add curiousity
The anticipation is that Texas coach Charlie Strong is going to start over on offense and bring in a new offensive coordinator and play-caller, and embrace the Air Raid movement in the Big 12.
It's why TCU co-offensive coordinator Sonny Cumbie has come up in reports as being Strong's top target. The Austin American-Statesman reported that Cumbie, 34, has interest in coming to Texas. Cumbie and co-assistant offensive coordinator Doug Meacham transformed TCU's methodical offense into one of the nation's most explosive, and turned quarterback Trevone Boykin into a two-time Heisman candidate.
For Cumbie, or anybody else, to take over as offensive coordinator and play-caller, it would mean current play-caller Jay Norvell will either be let go, or perhaps moved back to wide receivers coach. That's the original position the former Oklahoma assistant accepted at Texas following Bob Stoops cleaning house on offense and implementating an Air Raid attack that has helped the Sooners win the Big 12 title this season.
“Things are going to get worked out here,” Norvell told reporters Tuesday during his weekly media conference. “There’s certain things you can control and certain things you can’t control. We have great relationships with these kids, and we tell them the truth.”
Norvell took over as the play-caller after the season-opening loss at Notre Dame. Strong stripped Shawn Watson of play-calling duties and replaced quarterback Tyrone Swoopes with redshirt freshman Jerrod Heard.
But then Norvell made an interesting comment when asked about Heard's coming offseason development.
"I think he’ll benefit from an offseason in this system and the plays that we’re using," Norvell said.
This system? Plays that we're using?
That system and those plays produced an offense that ranks eighth in the 10-team Big 12 in scoring and total offense, last in passing and fourth in rushing. The biggest complaint with the offense in two seasons is the lack of an identity, other than talk of wanting to be a physically dominant unit.
Norvell doesn't sound like someone who is soon to be leaving his post. But maybe that was just him talking. Surely, Strong can't afford to take the same offensive system and the same plays they've been calling into Year 3.