Mike Norvell

With Chris Ball out and now the head coach at Northern Arizona University, Tigers head coach Mike Norvell has found his new defensive coordinator in Adam Fuller, according to the Daily Memphian's Jonah Jordan. He spent 2018 as Marshall's defensive coordinator, but he is now expected to be named the Tigers defensive coordinator.

Fuller joined Marshall's coaching staff in 2013 as the assistant head coach/linebackers coach, and he was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2018. Before joining Marshall's coaching staff, Fuller spent four seasons as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Chattanooga.

In both of his major coaching stops, Fuller was known for his stout defenses that rarely made mistakes. In 2018, Marshall's defense ranked top-35 in over 30 categories, and they were one of three defenses that did not allow a 100-yard rusher all season. For the season, Marshall's defense had 43 sacks, and they only allowed 104 rushing yards per game.

In his time at Chattanooga, the Mocs were widely known to have one of the best defenses in the FCS, so Fuller's track record speaks for itself.

There are always uncertainties with new coaching hires, but there is one thing for sure about the 2019 season for Memphis: they will have an influx of young talent for Fuller to work with. They are bringing in highly ranked players like three-star defensive ends Cole Mashburn and Jalil Clemons, so it will be very interesting to see how Fuller uses the incoming freshman.

Fuller is known for using multiple defensive looks, so fans will certainly be curious to see how he uses the current players on Memphis' roster and the incoming freshman.

Under Ball in 2018, Memphis's defense allowed nearly 32 points per game and 428 yards per game. To Ball's credit, the defense had a ton of injuries in both the secondary and defensive line, but fans will certainly be optimistic about Fuller. The Tigers new defensive coordinator is known for molding talent, so next season should be interesting on the defensive side of the ball.