Since stepping into the head coaching role at Memphis for Justin Fuente, Mike Norvell has kept the Tigers on a competitive path. They have played in each of the past two American Athletic Conference championship games, but getting over that final hurdle has proven quite elusive for the Tigers.
The time is now for Norvell, who has more returning production on both sides of the ball than any other team in the conference. Darrell Henderson is gone in the backfield, but Patrick Taylor Jr. is ready to step up into more of a feature role in the ground game. Having Brady White back at quarterback also helps immensely. An upperclassmen-stacked defensive two-deep also provides plenty of hope for the Tigers this year.
Opening the year against Ole Miss provides a winnable Power Five statement opportunity. Also working in Norvell’s favor is the fact that Memphis avoids UCF in the regular season. In the past two years, the Tigers have gone 0-4 against the Knights and 26-5 against everybody else they play.
Replacing a few key parts leaves a few question marks. But in general, if Memphis is going to win a conference title under Norvell the time is now. The fourth-year head coach has plenty to prove in terms of whether or not he can get a team all the way through to the promised land.