re: Could we have hired Norvell?

He was a candidate for the job and evidently really wanted it. I suspect what really did him in wasn't the allegations though. That was a convenient excuse.

I think what did him in was that the Powers That Be, who were really running the coaching search (JCP, the interim AD, was a big fan of hiring Kiffin) had their hearts set on hiring Gus Malzahn. So they leaked Norvell had serious sexual allegations to clear the way for the triumphant return of the Gus Bus. Who fleeced us to help him sign a massive contract at Auburn.

Once it became clear they weren't getting Gus, and after they had crapped all over Norvell by leaking that he had too much dirty laundry to hire, they panicked and hired Chad. We all know how that turned out.

I don't think it was a case of we were too goody two shoes to hire Norvell. I think it was a case of a bunch of people who thought they knew best, who had just engineered the removal of the previous AD, and were drunk on power screwing things up as thoroughly as possible. The only positive is that they likely won't try that again for a generation.