Jay Norvell, fired from Oklahoma, becomes new OC at Texas

Former Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jay Norvell has landed on the other side of the Red River Rivalry with the University of Texas, adding another layer to an already intense rivalry between the Sooners and the Longhorns.

Norvell spent seven seasons with the Sooners, including four as co-offensive coordinator, before being let go earlier this month.

"Jay is a guy that has always had an outstanding reputation, and when I had a chance to talk to him, what impressed me the most was his energy, passion and drive to be successful," Texas coach Charlie Strong said in a statement. "The thing you see and everyone talks about with him is that he's a great teacher, very detailed and organized, and he really develops his players. He's coached so many great players, gets the most out of his guys, and they really like playing for him.

"He brings a lot to our staff, is very familiar with the Big 12 and has experience recruiting in Texas. We're really excited he's joining us."

Norvell takes over for Les Koenning, who was fired after one season. The Longhorns ranked 64^th in total offense with 408.7 yards per game and 65^th in scoring offense with 29.3 points per game. Both of those figures ranked sixth in the Big 12. The Longhorns especially struggled in the passing offense where they averaged just 212.5 yards per game and ranked 95^th in offensive passing efficiency.

Oklahoma’s offense wasn’t a whole lot better in 2014. It ranked 52^nd in total offense with 423 yards per game and 40 in scoring offense with 32.8 points per game.

Prior to his time at Oklahoma, Norvell coached at UCLA, Nebraska, Iowa State and Wisconsin.

"The first thing that really drew me to this opportunity was the chance to work with Charlie Strong," Norvell said in a statement. "I've followed his career for a long time, and after sitting down and talking to him, seeing his vision for the program, the recruiting philosophy, his values, every area of the team, I was totally impressed. Our visit convinced me I wanted to be a part of that championship vision at Texas."

For more Texas news, visit Orangebloods.com.

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