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Nevada Hires Jay Norvell As New Head Coach
Jay Norvell is the new head coach of the Nevada Wolf Pack, becoming the head man of a program for the first time after 31 seasons as an assistant.
December 9, 2016
Jay Norvell is the new head coach of the Nevada Wolf Pack, becoming the head man of a program for the first time after 31 seasons as an assistant.
After serving as an assistant for 31 years, Jay Norvell will be a head coach for the first time at the University of Nevada, who announced his hiring on Friday.
“I want to thank University president Marc Johnson and Doug Knuth for this tremendous opportunity,” Norvell said. “Our family is humbled and honored to lead the Nevada football program. It is our charge to make this the flagship program of the Mountain West Conference.”
Norvell’s coaching career has taken him from the college ranks to the NFL and back, with stops at Iowa, Northern Iowa, Wisconsin, Iowa State, Indianapolis Colts, Oakland Raiders, Nebrska, UCLA, Oklahoma, Texas, and just this past year, Arizona State.
Athletic director Doug Knuth spoke of Norvell’s coaching acumen along with his strengths away from the field.
“Coach Norvell is known throughout college and NFL football as a man of great character and integrity,” Knuth said. “He is highly respected for his knowledge of the game and ability to teach his players…Lastly, and importantly, Coach Norvell is known for his passion and love for his players. He will set a very high standard for excellence and work tirelessly to achieve our goals academically and athletically. I am excited to watch Coach Norvell build Wolf Pack football into a championship program.”
Marc Johnson, president of the University of Nevada, stated that Norvell’s past success as both a coach and leader was a main reason why the Wolf Pack decided to give him his first head coaching position.
“What became apparent during the search and interview process was Jay’s career-long commitment to many of the values that define our University and Wolf Pack Athletics,” Johnson said.
Nevada finished 5-7 this season, and the administration decided to make a chance at the head position, firing Brian Polian after four seasons in Reno.
