Brian Norwood
Current position
TitleAssistant Head Coach/Passing Game Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach
TeamUCLA
ConferencePac-12
Biographical details
Born (1965-08-12) August 12, 1965 (age 58)
Portsmouth, Virginia
Playing career
1984–1988Hawaii
1989Calgary Stampeders
Position(s)Defensive back
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1990–1991Arizona (GA)
1992–1994Richmond (OLB)
1995–1999Navy (DB)
2000Texas Tech (DB)
2001–2007Penn State (S)
2008–2010Baylor (DC)
2011–2014Baylor (AHC/S)
2015–2017Tulsa (AHC/Co-DC/S)
2018Kansas State (Co-DC/DB)
2019Navy (Co-DC/S)
2020–presentUCLA (AHC/PGC/DB)

Brian Norwood (born August 12, 1965) is an American football coach. He currently serves as defensive backs coach, assistant head coach, and defensive passing game coordinator at UCLA.[1] Prior to that, he most recently was the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach with Navy Midshipmen football.[2] Previously, Norwood served as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach with Bill Snyder at Kansas State Wildcats football[3] and Philip Montgomery at Tulsa Golden Hurricane football.[4] This was after holding the position of assistant head coach to Art Briles at Baylor University.[5] Both Norwood and Briles served as assistants to Mike Leach at Texas Tech in 2000.[6] Norwood was also an assistant to Joe Paterno at Penn State from 2001 to 2007.[2]

Norwood grew up in Prince George's County, Maryland, where he attended Georgetown University basketball camps and met then-coach John Thompson.[7] With his father serving in the Air Force, his family moved to Hawaii in Norwood's sophomore year of high school.[7] Norwood played cornerback and safety at the University of Hawaii and graduated with a bachelor's degree in communication in 1988.[2] In high school and college, he was best friends with Ken Niumatalolo,[7] now the head coach who hired him at Navy.[2] After college, Norwood worked for United Airlines for a year before playing football the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders.[7] His football playing career came to an end when he was diagnosed with diabetes.[7]

Family

Norwood and his wife, Tiffiney, met and started dating in high school in Hawaii.[7] They have five children: Gabe, Jordan, Levi, Brianna and Zac.[2]

Norwood's son Gabe, was a member of the George Mason Patriots men's basketball team that advanced to the 2006 NCAA Final Four.[2] He is currently playing for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the Philippine Basketball Association and a current member of the Philippine national basketball team. His second son, Jordan, played wide receiver at Penn State and was a wide receiver for the Denver Broncos.[2] His third son, Levi, was a receiver for Baylor University.[8] His only daughter, Brianna, attended George Mason University, where she studied sports management and was on the dance team. Brianna worked for the Washington Nationals during the 2012, 2013 and 2014 seasons, meeting Nationals center fielder Michael A. Taylor, now her fiancé.[9] His youngest son, Zac, played basketball for Midway High School in Waco, Texas.[10][11]

References

  1. ^ "UCLA hires Navy's Brian Norwood as passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach". Los Angeles Times. 17 January 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Brian Newberry, Brian Norwood, Kevin Downing and P.J. Volker Join Navy Football Coaching Staff". Naval Academy Athletics (Press release). January 12, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  3. ^ Robinett, Kellis (February 27, 2018). "New assistant Brian Norwood finalizes multi-year contract with Kansas State". The Wichita Eagle. Archived from the original on October 18, 2019. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  4. ^ Evans, Thayer (January 11, 2015). "Tulsa hires Baylor co-defensive coordinator Brian Norwood". Sports Illustrated.
  5. ^ "Brian Norwood Joins Football Staff From Penn State". Baylor University Athletics (Press release). December 7, 2007. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  6. ^ Schrotenboer, Brent (December 21, 2011). "Leach coaching tree spawning bowl coaches". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Gilbert, Tom (March 4, 2015). "Assistant Norwood's road to Tulsa was long, winding". Tulsa World. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  8. ^ "Levi Norwood - Football". Baylor University Athletics. Baylor University. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  9. ^ Wagner, Bill (October 18, 2019). "Navy football co-defensive coordinator Norwood welcomes Nationals player as future son-in-law". The Capital. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  10. ^ Cherry, Brice (January 15, 2014). "Midway Panthers toe narrow path in win over Ellison". Waco Tribune. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  11. ^ Gish, Marianne (February 9, 2014). "Boys Basketball: Ellison v. Waco Midway". Killeen Daily Herald. Retrieved October 18, 2019.

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