Football Adds Norwood to Coaching Staff

LOS ANGELES – UCLA head football coach Chip Kelly announced today the hiring of Brian Norwood as the team's assistant head coach/passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach.

Norwood comes to UCLA after serving a second stint at Navy in the 2019 season as assistant coach/co-defensive coordinator/cornerbacks coach. The Midshipmen captured a victory over Kansas State in the Liberty Bowl to finish with an 11-2 record, matching the program's record for most wins in a season. Norwood's resume includes 14 bowl appearances.

Norwood returned to the Naval Academy from Kansas State where he was the Wildcats' co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach for the 2018 season. Under Norwood's direction, the Kansas State defense made the biggest jump in the Big 12 in pass defense, moving from last in the league (309.1 yards per game) to fourth (245.8). The 245.8 passing yards per game were the fewest passing yards Kansas State had allowed in five years.

Prior to Kansas State, Norwood was the associate head coach and co-defensive coordinator while also coaching the safeties at Tulsa from 2015-17. Norwood coached at Baylor from 2008-14, serving as the defensive coordinator from 2008-10 and the associate head coach and safeties coach from 2011-14.

During his three seasons coordinating the Bear defense, Norwood oversaw a unit that totaled nine All-Big 12 honorees and two All-Americans. During the Bears' 2013 Big 12 Championship season, Norwood coached First-Team All-American Ahmad Dixon (drafted by the Dallas Cowboys), while both of Baylor's 2011 starting safeties, Mike Hicks and Sam Holl, earned All-Big 12 honors. 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.

Norwood was an assistant at Penn State from 2001-07. During Norwood's seven seasons in Happy Valley, the Nittany Lions topped the Big Ten in pass efficiency defense twice (2004 and 2005) and finished third on two occasions (2003 and 2006). 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 (led conference with 144 tackles as a senior) and Calvin Lowry. He also coached 2003 Second-Team All-Big Ten pick Yaacov Yisreal.

In his lone season at Texas Tech, Norwood coached strong safety Kevin Curtis, a Second-Team All-American and First-Team All-Big 12 honoree, as the Red Raiders played in the 2000 Galleryfurniture.com Bowl.

Norwood's first full-time coaching job was guiding the outside linebackers at the University of Richmond (1992-94) after serving two years as a graduate assistant at the University of Arizona (1990-91).

Norwood was a four-year letterwinner at both cornerback and safety at Hawaii (1984-87) and graduated with a bachelor's degree in communication in 1988. He and his wife, Tiffiney, have five children: Gabriel, Jordan, Levi, Brianna and Zaccariah. Gabriel was a key member of George Mason's 2006 men's basketball Final Four team. Jordan played eight seasons in the NFL, including the 2015 campaign with the Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos, while Levi was a four-year letterwinner at Baylor (2011-14).

NORWOOD'S COACHING CAREER