Major Staff Changes
Some believe Michael Alford or others forced Mike Norvell to fire Alex Atkins, Adam Fuller, Ron Dugans, and Randy Shannon. I'm sure there were conversations about it, but Norvell doesn't strike me as someone willing to settle for mediocrity.
Was it his fault for not holding the staff accountable on many levels, resulting in a 2-10 season?
100 percent, and he's lucky that a 60+ buyout prevented his firing. However, knowing he'd have a chance to fix the problem he created?
Mike Norvell was willing to make the necessary moves and hire guys with much more experience and others who have coached at major schools.
That's the major difference between the current and former coordinators. The changes have already paid dividends during the recruiting Early Signing Period and Winter Transfer Portal window. The roster is already better than it was in 2024, and now it's about putting the work in to transfer the talent from paper to on the field.