Iowa Changes Jay Norvell's Title Ahead of 2026 Season

Jay Norvell has a storied history with the Iowa Hawkeyes and it's no secret head coach Kirk Ferentz is a big fan of his work.

Norvell was originally hired as an "offensive analyst", but the sudden departure of running backs coach Omar Young changed everything.

No one can blame Young for taking a job in the NFL, though it left Iowa looking for their third RB coach in the last three seasons.

Ferentz took a look at everyone within the organization and decided Norvell was the man for the job. Less than a month after being hired by his alma mater, Norvell has already received a promotion, according to Hawk Central's Chad Leistikow.

Iowa Names Jay Norvell New Running Backs Coach

NEWS: Iowa is on the verge of making Jay Norvell its next running backs coach. Expected to be finalized soon. He'll replace Omar Young, who moved onto the NFL. Iowa's 3rd RBs coach in 3 years.

Details here.https://t.co/CShle5yOkI
— Chad Leistikow🆑 (@ChadLeistikow) March 11, 2026

Iowa's run-game has always been an important part of the offense, and even if they adopt a new "air-raid" style with Jeremy Hecklinski or Hank Brown under center, Ferentz is going to continue to run the ball like no other.

Now, he's able to do so with Norvell, a 62-year old Wisconsin native who made a name for himself on this Hawkeyes squad from 1982-85. Norvell has been coaching since 1986 when he got his start at Iowa as a graduate assistant.

Norvell has a 51-52 career record as a head coach. He's been a head coach since the 2017 season where he started with Nevada before moving to Colorado State in 2022. Now, he'll take a step back from the spotlight as he works exclusively with the running backs for the first time in his career.

Major Change for Jay Norvell

CSU HC Jay Norvel — Colorado State football coach Jay Norvell during spring practices with the CSU football team in 2025. | Kevin Lytle/The Coloradoan / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There's no doubt the former Hawkeye is an offensive guru, but this is the first time in his 30 years of coaching he'll be a RB coach. Norvell has worked with wide receivers, tight ends, quarterbacks, and the offensive line, but this is a brand new position for him.

Iowa landed L.J. Phillips in the portal, a star FCS running back who believes he has what it takes to succeed at this level. Norvell will look to get the best out of him, but he still has Kamari Moulton who is one of the best backs in the entire conference.

The Hawkeyes 2026 schedule includes dates with Michigan and Ohio State in weeks four and five. Norvell has three "tune-up" games before he's thrown into the fire, but he'll already have a chip on his shoulder for the Iowa State game as he coached for the Cyclones from 1995-97.

Don't forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!