New Terrace Coach Norton Learned From Lombardi

-- MOUNTLAKE TERRACE

There's no questioning Jim Norton's football coaching lineage.

Now Norton, a defensive lineman under Jim Owens at the University of Washington and Vince Lombardi with the Washington Redskins, will attempt to pass on his accumulation of football knowledge at Mountlake Terrace High School.

An assistant coach at Terrace for three seasons and an English teacher at the school, Norton has been named the Hawks' new head football coach.

"I played for the Huskies from 1961 to 1965 and I played in the 1964 Rose Bowl," Norton explained. "I was drafted second by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1965 draft and played there for two years. Then I was traded to Atlanta and played there for a couple years and finished up with the Redskins under Lombardi."

Norton said he draws a great deal of his coaching philosophy from the legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers.

"Not the screaming and yelling, because I don't think that works with kids," Norton said. "But I do model my passion for fundamentals and techniques.

"I think I come to coaching from a different perspective. I was taught in the old school and I've learned about inspiration and motivation in the new school."

Norton replaces Craig Olson, who stepped down as coach of the Hawks after three seasons. Terrace was 6-36 under Olson.

Norton was an assistant coach under Gary Moore when Issaquah won the KingCo championship in 1973 and was an assistant coach at Wenatchee Valley College under Sandy Cooprider when that team won the community college championship.

He has also been the head coach at Liberty Bell High School in the Twisp-Winthrop area.

"All together, I've been a football coach for 14 years," Norton said.