Colorado State has fired coach Jay Norvell, making the decision following Saturday’s loss to Hawaii, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reports. The Rams are 2-5 this season and have lost four of their last five games, struggling to find a rhythm offensively during Norvell’s fourth campaign.
Norvell finishes his Colorado State tenure with an 18-26 overall record as coach, including a 13-13 mark in the Mountain West Conference.
After showing improvement last fall with eight wins, Norvell’s tenure was questioned after a 17-point home loss to Washington State last month in Fort Collins after Colorado State mustered just three points. A loss to San Diego State followed before a victory against Fresno State delayed the inevitable.
College football coaching carousel tracker: Grades, analysis on coach changes, 2025-26 firings and hirings
Brandon Marcello
Norvell was asked after the loss to Washington State if he was concerned about his future and he provided an emphatic “no” before moving on to the next question.
Before Colorado State’s win over Fresno State this month, Norvell gave his players a message that reportedly resonated within the team.
“The cavalry’s not riding in to save us,” Norvell said he told the team. “We have to save ourselves. We have to make plays. Nobody’s gonna feel sorry for us.”
The Rams have been bitten by the injury bug this season, including half of the preseason’s six team captains sidelined with season-ending ailments. Norvell said before the loss to Hawaii that his mindset hasn’t changed despite early struggles.
“We haven’t had the execution that we’ve wanted, but we’ve never quit. That’s why I believed that better things are down the road for this group,” Norvell said. “I just think this is an example. This is just scratching the surface. We’re capable. We have a lot of capable players that played closer to their potential tonight, which is exciting to see, but we’ll build on it. A lot of these guys are just getting started.”
Norvell arrived at Colorado State ahead of the 2022 season following five seasons at Nevada, where he went 33-26 (23-17 Mountain West).
Colorado State is moving from the Mountain West to the new version of the Pac-12 next season.
Add Comment