Dec. 7, 2007
Brian Norwood, who has spent the past seven seasons as safeties coach on College Football Hall of Fame head coach Joe Paterno's Penn State staff, has been hired as Baylor's defensive coordinator, Bears' head coach Art Briles announced Friday.
"We are thrilled that Brian will join our staff as defensive coordinator," said Briles, who worked one season (2000) with Norwood at Texas Tech. "Brian is a passionate, intelligent football coach with a great work ethic. But more importantly, he is a wonderful family man with tremendous Christian values which make him a great fit for this position on our coaching staff at Baylor University."
An 18-year collegiate coaching veteran, Norwood began his career as a graduate assistant coach at Arizona (1990-91), before spending three seasons (1992-94) as outside linebackers coach at Richmond. He then spent five years at the U.S. Naval Academy (1995-99) as defensive backs coach and one season at Texas Tech (2000) as defensive backs coach before moving to Penn State in 2001. Teams he has worked with have earned seven bowl bids, including Penn State's 2007 trip to the Valero Alamo Bowl later this month in San Antonio, Texas.
"I am excited about the opportunity to work with Coach Briles at a great university like Baylor and all of the possibilities of this position," said Norwood. "Coach Briles has a tremendous vision for the Baylor Football program and I look forward to helping him and the rest of the staff build a championship program. I'm excited to be a Baylor Bear."
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 10 interceptions leader and first-team All-Big 10 safety Anthony Scirrotto, and developed NFL defensive backs Shawn Mayer and Calvin Lowry. He also coached 2003 second-team All-Big Ten pick Yaacov Yisreal.
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 at the Annapolis, Md., school, 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.
In his lone season at Texas Tech, Norwood coached strong safety Kevin Curtis, a first-team All-Big 12 honoree who shared the Red Raiders' MVP honor. The Red Raiders played in the 2000 Galleryfurniture.com Bowl.
Norwood, who calls Glenarden, Md., and Honolulu, home, graduated from the University of Hawaii in 1988 with a bachelor of science degree in communications. He was a four-year letterman as a cornerback/safety for the Rainbows from 1983 through 1987 and received the team's Most Improved Defensive Back award as a senior.
He and his wife Tiffiney have five children--Gabriel (22), Jordan (21), Levi (15), Brianna (14) and Zaccariah (11). Gabriel helped State College Area High School to the 2003 PIAA Basketball Championship and was a member of George Mason's 2006 men's basketball Final Four team, while Jordan is a junior wide receiver on the Nittany Lions team.
Baylor has played a 4-2-5 defense the past five seasons, but Briles said no decision will be made on what defensive scheme the Bears will utilize until a complete evaluation of talent in the program is completed in the coming weeks.
The remaining positions on Briles' staff are expected to be announced in the next week.
