Brian Norwood Position: Defensive Coordinator Alma Mater: Hawai'i, 1988

Brian Norwood, who spent the past seven seasons as safeties coach on College Football Hall of Fame head coach Joe Paterno's Penn State staff, is Baylor's first-season defensive coordinator.

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.

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 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.

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 Hawai'i 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, Jordan, Levi, Brianna and Zaccariah. Gabriel and Jordan helped State College Area High School to the 2003 PIAA Basketball Championship. Gabriel was a member of George Mason's 2006 men's basketball Final Four team and currently plays professionally overseas. Jordan is a senior starter at wide receiver on the Nittany Lions team.

THE NORWOOD FILE
PERSONAL
Born: Aug. 12, 1965, in Portsmouth, Va.
Family: Wife Tiffiney; Children Gabriel, Jordan, Levi, Brianna and Zaccariah

EDUCATION
High School: Radford High School, Honolulu, Hawai'i
Alma Mater: Hawai'i, 1988

PLAYING EXPERIENCE

COACHING EXPERIENCE

POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE