San Francisco 49ers hire Ken Norton Jnr as assistant head coach
Tuesday 9 January 2018 11:59, UK
The San Francisco 49ers have hired former Oakland Raiders defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. as assistant head coach.
Norton, 51, was fired by the Raiders in November after two-and-a-half seasons as coordinator, with the team finishing in the bottom half of the league in total defense in all three campaigns.
He played 13 NFL seasons as a linebacker for the Cowboys and the 49ers and was a part of three Super Bowl teams, including the most recent 49ers championship squad (1994).
Norton coached under Pete Carroll for six seasons at USC (winning a national title) and five seasons with the Seahawks (winning a Super Bowl) before being hired by the Raiders.
"Ken brings a great deal of knowledge and experience to our team having spent more than two decades as a NFL player and coach," head coach Kyle Shanahan said in a statement.
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"Throughout his coaching career, Ken has developed a tremendous understanding of our defensive system, making him a perfect fit for our staff. With four Super Bowl titles on his resume, including one as a 49er, Ken knows first-hand what it takes to become a championship calibre team."
The team also promoted Johnny Holland, a linebackers coach in 2017, to run game specialist/outside linebackers coach and Michael Clay from assistant strength and condition coach to assistant special teams coach.
