Norries Wilson
Encyclopedia
Norries Wilson was the 18th head coach
of the Columbia University
football
team, and the first African-American head football coach in the Ivy League
. He was relieved of his position by Columbia Athletic Director Diane Murphy on Sunday, November 20th 2011 following a 1-9 season .
A 1989 graduate of the University of Minnesota
, he was hired at Columbia following the 2005 season, during which the Lions finished 0-7 in the Ivy League, 2-8 overall.
Wilson finished his six seasons at Columbia with a record of 10-32 in Ivy League play and 17-43 overall.
With a victory over the Fordham Rams
in the 2006 Liberty Cup, he became the first Columbia head football coach since Aldo T. "Buff" Donelli in 1957 to win his debut. When the Lions beat Georgetown
the following week, he became the first since Hall of Famer
Lou Little
to start his career 2-0.
During his first season, Columbia ended a 16-game Ivy League losing streak with a 21-14 victory over Cornell
. A 22-21 season-ending win at Brown
gave the Lions their first consecutive league victories since 2003.
The Light Blue finished Wilson's inaugural campaign with those two league wins and a 5-5 record overall. It was the first time in a decade that the Lions had finished at .500, and it gave Wilson the highest career winning percentage among Columbia coaches since Charlie Crowley led the team to a 26-16-4 record from 1925 to 1929.
Wilson joined Columbia after four years as offensive coordinator
at the University of Connecticut
. In 2004, he was a finalist for the Frank Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach.
He also has coached at Bucknell University
, Livingstone College
, North Carolina Central University
, and was a graduate assistant at Minnesota.
Wilson was a captain
, two-year starter
and three-year letterwinner for the Gophers. He also earned two letters
in wrestling
, and qualified for the NCAA Championships as a heavyweight.
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
football
Columbia Lions
The Columbia University Lions are the collective athletic teams and their members from Columbia University, an Ivy League institution in New York City, United States. The current director of athletics is M...
team, and the first African-American head football coach in the Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
. He was relieved of his position by Columbia Athletic Director Diane Murphy on Sunday, November 20th 2011 following a 1-9 season .
A 1989 graduate of the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
, he was hired at Columbia following the 2005 season, during which the Lions finished 0-7 in the Ivy League, 2-8 overall.
Wilson finished his six seasons at Columbia with a record of 10-32 in Ivy League play and 17-43 overall.
With a victory over the Fordham Rams
Fordham Rams
The 22 Fordham University varsity sports teams are known as the Fordham Rams. Their colors are maroon and white. The Fordham Rams are members of NCAA Division I and compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference for all sports except football. In football, the Rams play in the Patriot League of NCAA...
in the 2006 Liberty Cup, he became the first Columbia head football coach since Aldo T. "Buff" Donelli in 1957 to win his debut. When the Lions beat Georgetown
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
the following week, he became the first since Hall of Famer
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
Lou Little
Lou Little
Lou "Luigi Piccolo" Little was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Georgetown College, now Georgetown University, from 1924 to 1929 and at Columbia University from 1930 to 1956, compiling a career college football record of 151–128–13...
to start his career 2-0.
During his first season, Columbia ended a 16-game Ivy League losing streak with a 21-14 victory over Cornell
Cornell Big Red
The Cornell Big Red is the informal name of the sports teams, and other competitive teams, at Cornell University. The university sponsors 36 varsity sports, as well as numerous intramural and club teams. Cornell participates in NCAA Division I as part of the Ivy League.The men's and women's hockey...
. A 22-21 season-ending win at Brown
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
gave the Lions their first consecutive league victories since 2003.
The Light Blue finished Wilson's inaugural campaign with those two league wins and a 5-5 record overall. It was the first time in a decade that the Lions had finished at .500, and it gave Wilson the highest career winning percentage among Columbia coaches since Charlie Crowley led the team to a 26-16-4 record from 1925 to 1929.
Wilson joined Columbia after four years as offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
at the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
. In 2004, he was a finalist for the Frank Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach.
He also has coached at Bucknell University
Bucknell University
Bucknell University is a private liberal arts university located alongside the West Branch Susquehanna River in the rolling countryside of Central Pennsylvania in the town of Lewisburg, 30 miles southeast of Williamsport and 60 miles north of Harrisburg. The university consists of the College of...
, Livingstone College
Livingstone College
Livingstone College is a private, historically black, four-year college in Salisbury, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church...
, North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University is a public historically black university in the University of North Carolina system, located in Durham, North Carolina, offering programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, professional and doctoral levels....
, and was a graduate assistant at Minnesota.
Wilson was a captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
, two-year starter
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
and three-year letterwinner for the Gophers. He also earned two letters
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
in wrestling
Collegiate wrestling
Collegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...
, and qualified for the NCAA Championships as a heavyweight.