Jim Norris of Grafton High School in Grafton, Wisconsin has been named the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA)/Green Bay Packers High School Coach of the Year.
In his eighth season as head coach of the Black Hawks, Norris led his program to a perfect 14–0 record, culminating with a victory in the WIAA Division 3 State Championship Game at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. After being locked in a battle throughout the game, Grafton won 17–15 after mounting a key drive that culminated in the game-winning field goal. Since day one, Norris has worked tirelessly to build the culture of his program.
Norris said, “When I came here, we incorporated the ‘Pound the Rock’ mentality… It’s the mantra of controlling what you can control – and that’s your attitude and your effort.” “There’s this saying ‘Grab a hammer, grab a lunch bucket and your hard hat and swing as hard as you can every day.’ In fact, we have built this thing based on work ethic and worker-like mentality. We put kids in positions to succeed, but ultimately it’s up to them where they want to take things. They have responded well and work hard. This was shown in the state championship game with 1:30 left to play. The people did not compromise or bow their heads; They kept swinging the hammer.”
Grafton’s state championship run was the culmination of months of hard work and determination.
“We started this process in June and we were on a mission,” Norris said. “Our guys said they want to be the best and be state champions. As a program, we ask a lot of our kids; we have certain standards that we work by and hold our kids to high academic standards and high performance on the football field. Our kids responded well and did everything we asked, and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Norris grew up in Hoffman Estates, Illinois and played offensive tackle at Fremwood High School. He went on to attend the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, playing offensive tackle for the Warhawks under Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Hall of Famer Lance Leipold. Norris was a three-time national champion and an all-region lineman for the Warhawks. Upon graduating in 2013, Norris began her career at UW-Whitewater as a student assistant. He served as an assistant coach at both Sun Prairie High School and Grafton before accepting the head coaching position at Grafton in 2018.
Norris is honored to be named Coach of the Year by the WFCA and the Packers, but he views the award as a team accomplishment.
“It’s a reflection of our coaching staff and the hard work of each and every one of them,” he said. “The sacrifices of being away from our families, working long hours and the constant pursuit of perfection take a toll on everyone. I’m so grateful for our guys and our coaching staff.”
Norris and his staff oversee a program of 94 players, 65 of whom are slated for varsity sports. His assistant coaching staff includes Eric Graf, Noah Cook, Josh Mack, Eric Pfleger, Luke Menzel, Zach Stelter, Carter Grant, Russell Cross, Jess Gwynn, Mike Seefeld, and DJ Hilgart. In addition to coaching football, Norris is a physical education teacher at Grafton High School. Norris and his wife, Abby, have two sons, Duke and Decker.
About the Green Bay Packers High School Coach of the Year/Week Program:
In recognition of the honor, the Packers will donate $2,000 to the Grafton football program from the Green Bay Packers and the NFL Foundation. Norris will be honored at the WFCA All-State Banquet in the Lambeau Field Atrium. This is the 28th year that both the Green Bay Packers and the WFCA have presented this honor together. The WFCA has awarded a Coach of the Year since 1976, while the Packers have presented the same award since 1998, in addition to the Coach of the Week program. More information about this award, the All-State Team and the WFCA is available at www.wifca.org.
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