Australian golf luminary Norman has proved a divisive figure in golf's ongoing civil war, with both McIlroy and Tiger Woods previously calling for him to quit.
McIlroy said in November 2022 that Norman should "exit stage left" to allow the "adults" to negotiate a deal between golf's warring factions.
Two weeks later, Woods was asked whether LIV and golf's traditional tours could co-exist and replied: "Not right now, not with their leadership, not with Greg there and his animosity towards the tour itself."
Norman was finally replaced by Scott O'Neil on Wednesday and McIlroy praised both O'Neil's "amazing track record" in managing sports teams and the efforts of Norman in establishing LIV.
"He's probably one of the only people in golf who could have taken on that role," McIlroy said of the former world No.1 when speaking to reporters after his first round of the Dubai Desert Classic.
"He got it off the ground. You've got to commend him for that. Now it's time for someone with a bit more experience in this to take over.
"I honestly don't know what the future holds for them but the moves they are making, especially from an executive standpoint, it doesn't look like they are going to go away any time soon."
"For LIV, it's probably a good move [replacing Norman] now that they're established."
