Hired on January 16, 2018, Ken Norton, Jr. enters his 10th season in the NFL coaching ranks after retiring from the league in 2000, after 13 years as one of the premiere linebackers in the game. He re-joined Seattle after serving as its linebackers coach for five seasons (2010-14) and three as the defensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders (2015-17).

Hired on January 16, 2018, Ken Norton, Jr. enters his 10th season in the NFL coaching ranks after retiring from the league in 2000, after 13 years as one of the premiere linebackers in the game. He re-joined Seattle after serving as its linebackers coach for five seasons (2010-14) and three as the defensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders (2015-17).

In his first season back with Seattle in 2018, he was reunited with Bobby Wagner who produced one of his best seasons, tallying 138 tackles (3rd NFL), marking the seventh-consecutive season with 100-plus stops, and returning one interception a franchise-record 98 yards for a touchdown. DE Frank Clark also had a career-year with a career-high 13.0 sacks (7th NFL) and 27 quarterback hits. His sack total was the most by a Seahawks player since Patrick Kerney led the NFC with 14.5 in 2007.

Also in 2018, his defensive unit ranked no. 1 in the NFL in short yardage, fourth in redzone defense, fifth in third-down conversions and led the NFL with a +15 takeaway/giveaway ratio, while leading the NFL with 14 fumble recoveries.

In 2016, Norton, Jr. led a defense that helped the Raiders post 12 wins and return to the postseason for the first time since 2002. The defensive unit produced the AP Defensive Player of the Year in DE Khalil Mack and two Pro Bowlers (Mack and S Reggie Nelson). Oakland ranked second in the NFL with 30 turnovers, posting 16 interceptions and 14 fumble recoveries. In crunch time, the Raiders allowed only three points inside the game’s final three minutes, the fewest in the NFL. Mack’s eight-game sack streak during the regular season tied an NFL record, and he came away with a sack-fumble in three consecutive games during that stretch. Mack’s season earned him numerous individual accolades, including his second Pro Bowl nod, two AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors and the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for November. The defense also received solid contributions at all levels, including Nelson (team-leading five interceptions), LB Bruce Irvin (seven sacks and six forced fumbles) and LB Malcolm Smith (team-leading 115 tackles).

In 2014, Norton, Jr. helped the Seahawks win the NFC title for the second straight year and an appearance in Super Bowl XLIX. Seattle’s defense finished the year as the league’s top-ranked defense by a large margin, surrendering only 267.1 yards per game (Detroit was second at 300.9 ypg). Norton, Jr.’s linebacking corps led the way, as LBs Wright and Wagner led the team in tackles with 107 and 104, respectively. Wagner became just the sixth player in franchise history to record three straight seasons of at least 100 tackles. Wagner was also selected to his first Pro Bowl in 2014.

He earned his fourth Super Bowl ring (first as coach) in 2013 as Seattle defeated Denver, 43-8, in Super Bowl XLVIII. Wagner again led the way with a team-high 119 tackles (71 solo) despite missing two games (ankle). He became just the third player in franchise history (Terry Beeson, Lofa Tatupu) to begin his Seattle career with back-to-back 100-tackle seasons. Wagner led the team with 10 tackles (five solo) in the Super Bowl and tied (Kam Chancellor) for the team-lead in postseason tackles with 34 (17 solo).

Norton, Jr.’s corps boasted the Super Bowl XLVIII MVP in Malcolm Smith. Smith tallied nine tackles (five solo), returned an interception 69 yards for a touchdown and a 22-0 lead in the second quarter and picked up one fumble recovery in the 35-point win, the third-largest winning margin in Super Bowl history.

In his first two seasons, Norton, Jr. helped David Hawthorne to his third-consecutive 100-tackle season, becoming the fifth player in Seahawks history to accomplish that feat. He also oversaw the development of 2011 fourth-round pick Wright in a starting role beginning Week 3 of the season with Wright finishing fifth on the team with 61 tackles (46 solo) and 2.0 sacks in only 12 games started. Wright followed that with a stellar sophomore season with a career-high 96 tackles (66 solo) in 2012.

In 2012, Norton saw another rookie emerge in second-round draft choice Wagner. Under his guidance, the defensive signal-caller finished second in the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year voting after recording 140 tackles (86 solo), ranking first in Seattle history in tackles among rookies (2nd NFL among rookies, 7th overall). He also led all rookie linebackers (T4th NFL among all rookies) with three interceptions.

Norton, Jr. spent six seasons coaching linebackers for USC from 2004-09, and defeated Oklahoma to win the 2004 national championship. In 2009, he added the title of assistant head coach of the defense. He spent his first year at USC as a graduate assistant (helping with the linebackers) after joining the Trojans staff in February of 2004.

His linebacking corps at USC is a Who’s Who of drafted NFL linebackers; Brian Cushing, Jarvis Jones, Clay Matthews and Keith Rivers (first-round), Rey Maualuga and Lofa Tatupu (second-round), Kaluka Maiava (fourth-round) and Super Bowl MVP Smith (seventh-round) are among the standouts that Norton coached and recruited to USC.

In 2008, Maualuga was named first-team All-American, Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, made his third consecutive All-Pac-10 first team and was USC’s first-ever winner of the Bednarik Award. He also was a finalist for the Lombardi, Butkus and Nagurski Awards. Fellow linebacker Cushing was also a Butkus Award finalist and won All-Pac-10 first-team honors. Following the season, Cushing was an NFL first-round pick, as was Super Bowl XLV winner Matthews.

In 2007, Rivers was an All-American first teamer and was a first-round NFL draft pick following the season, while linebacker Thomas Williams was a fifth-round NFL selection. In 2006 and 2007, Rivers and Maualuga made the All-Pac-10 first team. Linebackers Dallas Sartz (fifth round) and Oscar Lua (seventh round) were selected in the 2007 NFL Draft.

In 2004, linebackers Tatupu and Matt Grootegoed were named All-American first teamers (Grootegoed also was a Butkus Award finalist and Tatupu was Seattle’s second-round pick).

Norton, Jr. spent 13 years playing in the NFL, first with the Dallas Cowboys for six seasons (1988-93) and then seven years with the San Francisco 49ers (1994-2000). The All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection is the only player in history to play on three consecutive Super Bowl-winning teams (the Cowboys in 1992 and 1993 and the 49ers in 1994). He is one of 22 people in NFL history to win a Super Bowl as both a player and coach.

He was coached by the legendary Tom Landry in 1988 while his Dallas teammates included Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Randy White and Herschel Walker. Other Hall of Fame teammates include: Troy Aikman, Charles Haley, Michael Irvin, Terrell Owens, Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith and Steve Young.

After retiring from the NFL, he was a radio and television commentator and analyst, including appearances on the NFL Network, where he was an original host with Rich Eisen and Seth Joyner. He also served as the defensive coordinator at Hamilton High in Los Angeles in 2003.

He was the Cowboys second-round NFL draft pick in 1988 after earning All-American honors at UCLA in 1987. He lettered four seasons (1984-87) with the Bruins and was a finalist for the 1987 Butkus Award. He earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology from UCLA in 1998.

Born on September 29, 1966, he and his wife, Angela, have three children, daughters Brittney and Sabrina, and son Ken III.

His late father is the former world heavyweight boxing champion and played football and basketball at Northeast Missouri State. Norton Sr. broke Muhammad Ali’s jaw on March 31, 1973 at the San Diego Sports Arena in a match that Norton was victorious.

Norton Jr. also has three brothers, Keith, Kenejon and Brandon, and one sister, Kenisha.