Norvell, a starter on Iowa's 1985 Big Ten championship team, is thrilled to return to the place that gave him his start in the sport.
When Jay Norvell stepped on the Kinnick Stadium turf as Iowa football's honorary captain on Nov. 22, he couldn't have expected what have transpired only months later.
Serving as the Hawkeyes' honorary captain is a distinct honor for previous greats and notable fans of the football program, but it just meant a little more for Norvell.
"I think I got a chance to see and reflect on what a special place this is, and what a first class organization Iowa is, in comparative to other major schools," an emotional Norvell said during a press conference on April 16.
The unseasonably-warm late-November day marked Norvell's first visit to Kinnick since 1987. Norvell, a starting defensive back on Iowa's 1985 Big Ten championship squad, was just beginning his college coaching career back then as a graduate assistant under legendary Iowa coach Hayden Fry.
Like most people involved in the coaching profession, Norvell's job took him across the entire country. He mostly stayed in the college ranks working for notable coaches such as Barry Alvarez and Bob Stoops, but he also served in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts and Oakland Raiders.
But as the popular saying goes, there's no place like home.
After spending the last eight and a half years as a head coach (4 with Nevada, 3.5 with Colorado State), Norvell is indeed back home in Iowa City as the running backs coach under Kirk Ferentz - the offensive line coach of that 1985 team.
"It's just a complete blessing [to be back to Iowa]. I'm so grateful and really appreciative of Kirk for bringing me back," Norvell said.
Norvell was fired by Colorado State in October 2025, but instead of migrating to a lake and pulling out a fishing rod, he hit the road and visited some of the schools he used to coach at - Illinois, Oklahoma, Michigan, and USC.
Iowa was the final stop on Norvell's tour. Ferentz allowed Norvell to speak to the team in the days leading up to their Senior Day contest against Michigan State. Norvell shared with the team three lessons that he learned from his playing days with the Hawkeyes - don't let your teammates down, you can play hurt, and play with courage in order to succeed on the field.
"Those are the three things I learned from being in Iowa, and they served me well for many years, and I'm very grateful for those lessons," Norvell said. "I told Coach [Ferentz] that I'm in a position where I can come and help a university. I've had a lot of great experiences."
Though Norvell has never coached running backs before, his previous experience as an offensive coordinator and head coach forced him to work with every position group.
Forty years of coaching experience could come in handy for what Norvell called a "really amazing" Hawkeye running back room.
"I don't think anybody's had more fun here than me, to be honest with you. It's just a joy to be here every day around great people," Norvell said.
Kinnick Stadium has changed a lot since Norvell's college years. Gone are the tennis courts in the south end zone and the old locker room that once sat in the north end zone, but the passionate Hawkeye that used to paint the pink locker room for a summer job four decades ago is still very present.
"I tell our players, I said I was just like you," Norvell said. "This place means an awful lot to me. This is my school. Don't screw this up. Do it the right way."
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HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at bradschultz@roundtable.io