Following an eight-year stint in the early 2000s, Don Norton Jr. returned to Haverford College as an assistant coach prior to the 2025 spring season.
Norton Jr. comes back to the sidelines of Walton Field after spending the past 12 seasons at nearby Rutgers-Camden. Assisting 2013 NSCAA National Coach of the Year Tim Oswald, he coached numerous All-American, All-Academic, All-Region, and All-Conference players while helping lead the Scarlet Raptors to NJAC titles in 2013 and 2015.
In 2013, Rutgers-Camden not only claimed the conference title but also advanced to the NCAA National Championship game. The Scarlet Raptors returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2015 and, under Norton Jr.’s guidance, also made ECAC Tournament appearances in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2021, winning the competition in 2014.
Before his time at Rutgers-Camden, Norton Jr. served on the staff of two-time NCAA Champion Dan Gilmore at Rowan University, where he coached and recruited All-Conference, All-Region, and All-Academic players from 2009 to 2013.
Norton Jr. previously spent eight seasons at Haverford College from 2002 to 2009, coaching under legendary head coach Joe Amorim. During that tenure, the Scarlet and Black became the first men’s college soccer program to record 700 wins, an achievement recognized by a feature in The New York Times.
Prior to his first stint at Haverford, Norton Jr. was the head coach at Swarthmore from 2000 to 2002, where he helped elevate a struggling program. Under his leadership, the Garnet improved from three to seven wins within two seasons, won their first conference match in years, and posted a four-game winning streak in his second year.
From 1998 to 2000, Norton Jr. was an assistant coach at Stockton University, where he helped guide the NJAC Champion Ospreys to the 1999 NCAA Division III Final Four. Stockton went on to win the NCAA Championship in 2001, with Norton Jr. playing a vital role in laying the foundation for the program’s success. During his tenure, the Ospreys broke multiple program records for wins and goals, and in 2022, the team was inducted into the Stockton University Athletics Hall of Fame.
Earlier in his career, Norton Jr. also served as an assistant coach at the University of Pennsylvania, in addition to coaching roles at Swarthmore and Rutgers-Camden during the 1990s.
Norton Jr. holds several prestigious coaching certifications including a UEFA "A" coaching license, USSF "A" license, USC Premier Diploma and USSF National Youth License. He is a NJ and EPYSA coaching school instructor and a US Soccer Grassroots instructor. In 2022 he was selected as the NJ Youth Soccer "Coach of the Year." Norton Jr. has written numerous coaching articles for the USC Soccer Journal and was a national convention speaker for US Youth Soccer at the USC convention.
Norton Jr. holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Gettysburg College and a Master of Arts Degree from Rowan University.
Don Norton’s Published Articles
- Coaching A Youth Soccer Team When The Match Begins | Southern Soccer Scene | February 2004
- Midfield Possession to Attack | Success in Soccer | July 2005
- Coaching A Youth Soccer Team When The Match Begins | Soccer New England | January 2006
- It’s All About The Players! | Success in Soccer | November 2008
- Planning Your 12-month Season | NSCAA Journal | May 2011
- Are Your Players Doing Their Soccer Homework? | NSCAA Journal | May 2012
- Choose Words Wisely When Coaching Kids | Soccer America.com | December 2012
- Assisting A College Soccer Professor | NSCAA Journal | January 2013
- 10 Tips For The Well-Organized Coach: presentation matters | Soccer America.com | March 5, 2013
- Movement Off The Ball: The Key To Success | Success in Soccer | September 1, 2013
- Evaluating Our Training Session | NSCAA Journal | November 1, 2013
- Starting Your First Training Session | NSCAA Journal | February 2014
- The Coachable Moment: Positive - Information - Positive | NSCAA Journal | December 2014
- The Youth Soccer Parents’ Meeting | NSCAA Journal | January 2015
- Small-Sided Games: A Key to More Technical Players | Soccer America.com | April 24, 2015
- Building Your Attack From the Back | NSCAA Journal | March/April 2015
- Training Two Strikers | NSCAA Journal | July/August 2015
- Soccer On The Spectrum | NSCAA Journal | May/June 2016
- Are Your Players Learning to Steal Real Estate? | NSCAA Journal | September/October 2016
- Yelling At The Player With The Ball | NSCAA Journal | January/February 2017
- Defending While Your Team Has The Ball | NSCAA Journal | March/April 2017
- Training Players On The Spectrum | USC Soccer Journal | July/August 2017
- Diversity in Attack: Attacking from the Flanks | USC Soccer Journal | September/October 2017
- Defending For Younger Players | USC Soccer Journal | January/February 2018
- Movement Off The Ball: The Key To Possession | USC Soccer Journal | March/April 2018
- Rick Meana Director of Coaching for New Jersey Youth Soccer | USC Soccer Journal | March/April 2018
- Dr. Terry Eguaoje Director of Coaching for Pennsylvania West Youth Soccer | USC Soccer Journal | Sept./Oct. 2018
- Coaching in the Game: Individual and Team Tactical Decisions | USC Soccer Journal | March/April 2019
- Interview with Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association Technical Director Mike Barr | USC Soccer Journal | May/June 2019
- Interview with Kevin McCarthy, the Director of Youth Development for the Downtown United Soccer Club (NY) | USC Soccer Journal | September/October 2019
- Interview with Giovanni Pacini, a United Soccer Coaches Academy staff member| USC Soccer Journal | January/February 2020
- Interview with Tim Bradbury, the Director of Coaching Instruction for the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association | USC Soccer Journal | May/June 2020
- Interview with Larry Mahony – Irish Coach, Educator and Author | USC Soccer Journal | May/June 2021
- 5 v 5 (Plus Keepers) One of My Favorite Training Sessions | USC Soccer Journal | May/June 2021
- “Football with Future Stars, Tanzania” – Julian Light interview | USC Soccer Journal | March/April 2022
- Are Your Players Learning to Steal Real Estate? | USC Soccer Journal | November/December 2022
- Bob McNulty – New Jersey’s Early Coaching School Pioneer, College Coach and Mentor | Soccer Journal | Summer 2023
- Interview with Derek Broadley – Technical Director, Charlestown Soccer Club (SC) | Soccer Journal | Fall 2023
