For NFL coaches, the business is a coaching carousel; one day someone is a linebackers coach, the next they’re a defensive coordinator. This was the situation for Oakland Raiders defensive coordinator Ken Norton, Jr. The second-year defensive coordinator previously served as the linebackers coach at USC from 2004 to 2009, before joining the Seattle Seahawks for four years.
Prior to joining the Silver and Black, Norton worked as the linebackers coach in Seattle, where he gained familiarity with current linebackers Bruce Irvin and Malcolm Smith. This week, Norton is preparing Irvin, Smith, and the rest of the defensive unit to take on the Atlanta Falcons, and will go toe-to-toe with another familiar face, Dan Quinn.