Football: Norvell leading offense, receivers, recruiting

When head football coach Todd Graham arrived at Pitt, he promised that a high-octane and… When head football coach Todd Graham arrived at Pitt, he promised that a high-octane and explosive offense would take over at Heinz Field this season.

One of the keys to installing that fast-paced philosophy is Mike Norvell — Pitt’s new co-offensive coordinator, wide receivers coach and director of recruiting.

Norvell, a Texas native who worked with Graham at Tulsa for the past four years, helped guide an offense at Tulsa that led the country in total offense in 2007 and 2008.

Now Graham and Norvell have brought that same high-powered offensive philosophy to Pitt, and Norvell said the most important quality of the new system is the fast tempo that puts pressure on the defense.

“We want to dictate the game with an explosive, high-powered tempo,” he said at Pitt’s signing day news conference last month. “We want to take shots vertically down the field. We want to threaten the defense horizontally and vertically. It’s an offense unlike any other in the country.”

Graham agreed, adding that he would describe the philosophy as blue-collar and hard-edge.

“We’re not a no-huddle offense, we’re a no-huddle football team,” Graham said. “We go fast and we go efficient … we do it in a very physical manner.”

During the 2010 season at Tulsa, Norvell served as the passing game coordinator, receivers coach and director of recruiting for the Golden Hurricane. The team produced five 1,000-yard receivers, including All-American Damaris Johnson.

To successfully install this offense, Norvell said the coaches look for players who can run at the same speed with or without pads.

“We’re looking for guys, offensively and defensively, that are a level faster than their opponents,” he said. “That’s what I think we got with this [2011] class.”

He added that the coaches are excited about the current group of Pitt players as well, believing they have the skill and speed to execute the offense.

“I’ve had receivers come to see me, and they’re smiling from ear to ear,” Norvell said. “We are so excited about the group we have now to be able to bring the offense in and utilize their skills and talents.”

One of those players is redshirt sophomore wide receiver Devin Street, who said he’s been excited since he first watched Graham’s offense and Tulsa’s game film when the new staff was announced.

“Now we’re finally out there just playing and having fun,” he said after practice on Tuesday. “It’s just a joy to be out there.”

Street said the biggest adjustment is to the offense’s pace.

“Coming in, we knew it was going to be up-tempo, but it’s like an insanity tempo,” he said. “It’s a great thing because teams are not going to be ready for it.”

He added that he loves working with Norvell, who he described as an enthusiastic coach.

“His energy level is through the roof,” Street said. “Just in the four days [of practice] he’s made me a better wide receiver than I was last year already.”

Norvell brings a combination of positive reinforcement and a critical eye, Street said.

“He’s hard on us, but it’s all positive,” he said. “If it’s a 20-yard route, he wants us going 20 yards and not 19-and-a-half. I just think he’s a great coach.”

As director of recruiting, Norvell was put to the test early, as he was forced to assemble a recruiting class under tough circumstances.

Because Graham wasn’t hired until January, the coaches faced a shortened recruiting period. Norvell said it was a challenge because they didn’t have the chance to build relationships with both the players they were recruiting and the ones they were inheriting on the current roster.

“Just like our offense is fast paced, it was fast-paced recruiting. I can tell you that,” he said.

He added that Pitt’s national marketability aided in the recruiting in the process.

“People recognize the logo across the country,” he said. “They know the great players and the great tradition. It doesn’t matter where we are, people want to know more about Pitt football.”