Football
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach & Co-Defensive Coordinator, Safeties
- Email:
- brian-norwood@utulsa.edu
- Phone:
- 2393
Brian Norwood was appointed associate head coach, co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at The University of Tulsa on January 11, 2015.
Norwood has coached in 13 bowl games in his 26-year collegiate coaching career with stops at Arizona, Richmond, Navy, Texas Tech, Penn State, Baylor and now Tulsa.
Before coming to Tulsa, Norwood spent seven seasons (2008-14) on the Baylor coaching staff, including the last four as associate head coach and safeties coach. From 2008 to 2010, Norwood served as defensive coordinator and oversaw a defense that totaled nine All-Big 12 honorees and two All-Americans.
During Baylor's 2013 Big 12 championship season, Norwood coached first-team All-American and NFL draftee Ahmad Dixon. Both of Baylor's 2011 starting safeties, Mike Hicks and Sam Holl, earned All-Big 12 honors that season. Holl finished second on the squad with 113 total tackles and Hicks was third with 105, and each had three interceptions. In 2010, Norwood coached first-team All-Big 12 honoree Byron Landor, who totaled 127 tackles.
Prior to his stint at Baylor, Norwood spent seven seasons (2001-07) as the safeties coach on Joe Paterno's coaching staff at Penn State.
During Norwood's seven seasons at Penn State, the Nittany Lions led the Big Ten in pass efficiency defense twice (2004 and 2005) and finished third on two occasions (2003 and 2006). Nationally, Penn State ranked among the nation's top 25 in pass efficiency defense four times including a No. 4 ranking in 2004. At the end of the 2007 regular season, the Nittany Lions' defense ranked sixth nationally against the run (87.92 ypg), eighth in scoring defense (17.58 ppg), ninth in total defense (306.58 ypg) and 44th in pass efficiency defense (119.14 rating).
Norwood coached 2006 Big Ten interceptions leader and first-team All-Big Ten safety Anthony Scirrotto, and developed All-Big Ten and NFL defensive backs Shawn Mayer and Calvin Lowry, now on the Tulsa coaching staff.
Norwood began his career as a graduate assistant coach at Arizona (1990-91), then spent three seasons (1992-94) coaching the outside linebackers at Richmond in his first full-time coaching position. After that, Norwood spent five years at the U.S. Naval Academy (1995-99) as defensive backs coach and one season as the secondary coach at Texas Tech (2000) before moving to Penn State in 2001.
At Navy, Norwood tutored Sean Andrews, who earned second-team All-America honors in 1995, as well as Robert Green, an All-Independents team selection. In Norwood's second season in Annapolis, Navy fashioned its best record since 1978 at 9-3 and registered a 42-38 victory over California in the 1996 Aloha Bowl. With Norwood on staff, the Midshipmen posted back-to-back winning seasons (1996 and 1997) for the first time since a five-year run of winning campaigns ended in 1982.
Norwood, who calls Honolulu, Hawai'i and Glenarden, Md., home, graduated from the University of Hawai'i in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in communication. He was a four-year letterman as a cornerback/safety for the Rainbows (1984-87) and received the team's Most Improved Defensive Back award as a senior.
He and his wife, Tiffiney, have five children: Gabriel, Jordan, Levi, Brianna and Zaccariah.
Gabriel was a member of George Mason's 2006 men's basketball Final Four team and plays professionally in the Philippines, where he has been a key member of the Philippines' national basketball team. Jordan has played receiver in the NFL since 2009 and plays for the Denver Broncos. Levi completed his career at Baylor in 2014, while Brianna completed her senior year on the George Mason Masonette Dance Team, also in 2014. The youngest, Zaccariah, attends The University of Tulsa.
Alma Mater: Hawai’i ‘88
Birthdate: August 12, 1965
Hometown: Honolulu, Hawai’i, Glenarden, Md.
Playing Experience: Was a four-year letterman in the defensive secondary at Hawai’i (1983-87).
Bowl Games as a Coach
1990 Aloha Bowl (Hawai’i)
1996 Aloha Bowl (Navy)
2000 Galleryfurniture.com Bowl (Texas Tech)
2002 Capital One Bowl (Penn State)
2005 Orange Bowl (Penn State)
2006 Outback Bowl (Penn State)
2007 Alamo Bowl (Penn State)
2010 Texas Bowl (Baylor)
2011 Alamo Bowl (Baylor)
2012 Holiday Bowl (Baylor)
2013 Fiesta Bowl (Baylor)
2014 Cotton Bowl (Baylor)
2015 Camping World Independence Bowl (Tulsa)
