When you ask anyone currently or formerly associated with the Iowa football program on culture in Iowa City, there is a good chance that the word family will come up again.
Even though it’s a cliché in most places, the Hawk Eye The football team truly feels like a family on and off the field. Alumni are very passionate about what is happening in the field today, often volunteering their time, money, or both to support the program. Sometimes this also means returning home in an official role as part of the coaching and training team. That’s exactly what happened this week.
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On Wednesday, Chad Leistikow of the Des Moines Register reported that Iowa football was close to hiring former Hawkeye linebacker Jay Norvell to its 2026 team as running backs coach.
It was announced that Norvell was joining the team as an offensive analyst in early February. A few weeks later, the running backs coach Omar Young has accepted a job with the Las Vegas Raidersleaving a key position coaching opening to fill. Iowa decided to hire internally, promoting Norvell to the position for the 2026 season.
Norvell played at Iowa from 1982 to 1985, winning numerous games with those great teams in the early 1980s. After a short stint in the NFL, he joined the coaching ranks. After being a position coach for 30 years, he earned his first head coaching job with Nevada in 2017. He led the Wolf Pack to 33 wins and two bowl game victories in five seasons before accepting the head coaching job with Colorado State.
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He went 18-26 in his three and a half seasons with the Rams and was fired midway through the 2025 season. Looking to return to coaching, he is now back at his alma mater and will be a full-time member of the staff next season. He brings nearly 40 years of coaching experience to Iowa City.
Iowa returns with a fantastic running back room in 2026, led by juniors Kamari Moulton and LJ Phillips Jr. and sophomores Xavier Williams and Nathan McNeil. With Norvell’s coaching experience, fans should expect to see another good year from this group next season.
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This article was originally published on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football reportedly close to hiring Jay Norvell as RBs coach
