Head coach Lee Nelson named Tyson Norton to his coaching staff on April 9, 2015. Norton, who spent three seasons as the top assistant for the men’s program at UC Santa Barbara, brought, and will continue to bring as he enters his fourth season, a wealth of knowledge in teaching, scouting and player development to the Wolf Pack.
“Tyson brings a lot of high-level experience into our gym. His background as both a Division I libero and coach really helped us improve our serve receive immediately,” Nelson said when Norton joined the staff. “He is a great person and will represent our program and university in a manner that we can be proud of. I am very excited to welcome Tyson, his wife Sarah and his daughter Riley to the Wolf Pack family,” Nelson said after hiring Norton.
In his two stints with the Gauchos from 2008-09 and 2012- 15, Norton performed multiple duties from fundraising to scouting opponents. Norton helped coach two players, Dylan Davis in 2013 and Jonah Seif in 2014, to AVCA All-American selections while also mentoring multiple All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) selections. On the recruiting front, Norton helped UC Santa Barbara bring in a top-five class in 2014 according to Volleyball Magazine.
Norton previously served as an assistant coach at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, Calif. for one year where he had his hand in recruiting and creating and implementing daily practice plans. It was also during this time when Norton planted his deep ties to club teams in Northern and Southern California where served as a head coach and camp director.
As a player, Norton suited up for the Gauchos for two seasons after transferring from Golden West College. Norton played in 28 of UCSB’s 32 matches during his senior season where he averaged 1.21 digs per set and helped lead the Gauchos to a 20-12 record and an appearance in the semifinals of MPSF Tournament.
Norton earned a B.A. in communications from UCSB and holds a Master’s degree in coaching and administration from Concordia University
