Norwood looks to leave mark
Will be ‘Jacks third men's basketball coach since 1980
Tae Norwood has joined a selective club — head men’s basketball coach at Humboldt State University.
Norwood was recently announced as the program’s new head-man, becoming the third person to assume the role since the late Tom Wood began his 29-year run in 1980.
Norwood takes over for Steve Kinder, who’s 10-year run came to a close following the end of the 2019-20 season.
A two-decade coaching veteran, Norwood comes to Humboldt fresh off his first season as a head coach. Last season Norwood guided the Keiser University Seahawks, a West Palm Beach, Florida institution, to a 22-8 overall record, a share of a conference regular season championship and an NAIA tournament berth.
“The search committee did an amazing job finding Tae amongst the 120 plus applicant pool,” athletic director Jane Teixeira said in a press release. “Tae brings so much to the table as a coach, he is a mentor of young people and a leader. He will truly add to this community in ways that are beyond the hardwood court. We are excited to have him on board to lead the Men’s Basketball program.”
Before Norwood made his first successful imprint as a head coach, he was long regarded as a top assistant. He was named the National Assistant Coach of the Year by Coach Stat in 2018. Norwood made a name for himself working as an assistant for Lynn University, Northern Michigan, Grambling State, Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), Georgia Southern, Florida Southern, Bloomsburg and Milligan College.
College basketball fans may remember FGCU for its incredible ‘Cinderella’ run in the 2013 NCAA Division-1 tournament which saw the club reach the Elite Eight.
Norwood left FGCU in 2011 after two seasons, but he was instrumental in recruiting the players for what went down as easily the highest-flying, fastest-paced club in the dance in 2013.
It’s the same style which saw Keiser score north of 85 points-per-game last season and it’s the same style which Norwood plans to inject into a Lumberjacks program which scored 80 or more points just six times against California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) teams last season, a year which saw the ‘Jacks finish 9-18 overall and 5-17 in conference — the program’s third losing overall record since the 2016-17 season.
“My goal is to compete at the top of (the CCAA)…We’re going to play fast and get up and down the court. You’ll never see me tell a guy he took a bad shot. I may tell a guy to look for a better shot, but we want our guys playing as fast as they can. I don’t coach 1970’s basketball, I coach modern-day ball,” Norwood said in an interview with the Times-Standard. “This is one of the best Division 2 conferences in the nation…We’re going to teach winning cultural habits and wins on the court will come as a by-product.”
Being at the top of the CCAA is a rarefied space. Since Kinder began his run in 2010 only four teams in the 13-team conference (now 12 as UC San Diego is set to move to D-1 ahead of the upcoming season) have won a CCAA championship, HSU, Cal Poly Pomona, UC San Diego and Chico State.
Norwood is a self-professed “servant-leader,” and boasts a 95% graduation rate among his student-athletes.
“Division 2 is a interesting level because, sure you’ll have a few guys who will go pro and play overseas or wherever it may be, but you have a lot of guys who for them, this is it and they are equally as focused on their academics,” Norwood said. “And that’s why I am here — to impact the lives of young men through the game of basketball.
Among the returners Norwood will coach this season is Amari Green. As a sophomore Green was a spark-plug off the bench for the ‘Jacks in 2019-20, scoring 7.1 pointsper-game and about a stealper-game on 21 minutes a night. Senior forward Ruben Parks Jr. should also get a chance to shine this season. The powerful 6-foot-6 player played in 10 games last season. During his junior college days at Reedley College Parks Jr. led the state in scoring with 28.5 pointsper-game.
“I plan to recruit quality student-athletes who are conscientious, have character, and are dedicated to their academics. I hope to increase retention and improve the graduation rates of the program, while cultivating our student-athletes’ physical, mental, and emotional health,” the coach said in a press release from HSU. “My plan is to work closely with members of Humboldt County and the HSU community, developing relationships to provide a unique and quality experience for the totality of the studentathletes.”