Iowa Hawkeyes Hire Jay Norvell as Running Backs Coach

The Iowa Hawkeyes have hired Jay Norvell as their new running backs coach, replacing Omar Young who left for the Las Vegas Raiders.

What happened?

Jay Norvell was hired as a senior offensive analyst just a month ago, but will now take on the role of running backs coach.

He previously served as head coach at Nevada for five years and at Colorado State for four.

Why it matters for Iowa Hawkeyes

Norvell's experience will be beneficial for the Hawkeyes' running backs and entire offense, according to coach Kirk Ferentz.

Ferentz also announced the hiring of Mike Grant as senior offensive analyst and Brian Smith as senior defensive analyst.

The Iowa Hawkeyes are preparing for their next game against the Northern Illinois Huskies on 2026-09-05.

What comes next?

With Norvell on board, the Hawkeyes will look to improve their running game and overall offense.

Norvell played for the Hawkeyes from 1982-85 and was the team MVP as a senior.

He has also been an assistant at six other power-conference schools and with the Oakland Raiders and Indianapolis Colts.

The Hawkeyes are looking to build on their previous season's performance with the new coaching additions.