As Bret Bielema continues the search to replace Paul Chryst as his offensive coordinator, he’ll have to look somewhere other than Oklahoma.
In recent days, Jay Norvell‘s name had surfaced in connection to the coordinator job at Wisconsin. Reports had the Madison, Wisc., native going so far as to speak with Bielema about the job.
That’s as far as the conversation will get, however, as the assistant put an end to the speculation.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Norvell told Tulsa World Thursday night.
Norvell has been on Bob Stoops’ coaching staff since 2008 as co-coordinator and wide receivers coach. As noted by the paper, “Norvell has also played a major role in OU’s recruiting efforts”, so this is a significant coaching win for the Sooners.
Another potential candidate Bielema can reportedly cross off his to-do list? Chuck Long, Kansas’ coordinator the past two seasons. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Long, like Norvell, will not be coming to Madison.
It’s unclear which direction Bielema will now head in his search, although the official return of running back Montee Ball should make the job a bit more appealing to potential candidates, at least for the short term.