Norris is entering his fourth season as an assistant coach at FIU and his first as hitting coach.
During his three seasons as FIU’s pitching coach and he was the architect behind FIU hurlers leading Conference USA in ERA during regular season league play in 2019. Since being named pitching coach before the 2017 season, a total of six Blue & Gold pitchers have been drafted by MLB teams.
Norris began his coaching career at Alabama as the hitting instructor from 2008-10, before transitioning to work with the pitching staff and tutoring the catchers beginning in the 2011 season.
Under Norris's guidance, Alabama's pitching staff carried the team throughout the 2016 campaign. Crimson Tide pitchers finished with a 3.46 ERA and 452 strikeouts.
In 2015 the Tide pitching staff collected 479 strikeouts, the team's highest output since 2010, and limited opposing hitters to a .255 average against. Two of Norris's pitchers went on to the professional ranks as selections in the 2015 MLB First-Year Player Draft, including Taylor Guilbeau (10th round, Washington Nationals) and Will Carter (14th round, New York Yankees).
With Norris and fellow Alabama All-American Andy Phillips directing much of the player recruitment, Alabama entered the 2013 season with one of the top incoming classes in college baseball. The 11 signees for that 2013 season were rated fourth by Baseball America and No. 16 by Collegiate Baseball.
As the Tide's hitting coach in 2009, Norris helped Alabama become one of the top offensive units in the country. The Tide ranked in the top 25 nationally in nine offensive categories, including slugging percentage (7th, .566), home runs (8th, 107), doubles (12th, 142), runs scored (18th, 509), batting average (22nd, .330), doubles per game (23rd, 2.35) and total hits (25th, 689).
After the 2009 season, Norris was named the SEC assistant coach of the year by SEBaseball.com.
Prior to coaching at Alabama, Norris began his coaching career at Niceville (Fla.) High School, where he worked with the Niceville hitters and catchers.
Norris earned All-America honors as a catcher for the Crimson Tide from 1995-96. Norris was elected team captain on the Tide's 1996 SEC championship team that finished with a then-school record 50 wins. Alabama also captured the 1996 SEC Tournament championship and hosted an NCAA Regional for the first time in program history.
Norris led the Tide to its first College World Series appearance since 1983 during his senior year. He batted .370 (105 for 284) with seven home runs and 49 RBI, en route to being named a 1996 first team All-American by the Super Smith Team. Norris also was a first team All-SEC honoree and American Baseball Coaches Association All-South Region pick.
Norris was a 23rd-round draft pick by the Atlanta Braves in 1996 and played 11 years in professional baseball in both the Braves and Houston Astros organizations.
Norris reached the Triple-A level with both clubs and was voted to the 2002 Triple-A All-Star team as a member of the Richmond Braves. He played in 846 career minor league games and batted .265 with 73 home runs, 421 RBI and 771 total hits. He had a career-high 122 hits and 72 RBI for the Greenville (S.C.) Braves (Class AA, Southern League) in 2000 and hit a career-high 15 home runs in Greenville in 1999.
