Kenny Norton III enters his first season as a defensive quality control coach with the Bears in 2024 after spending the 2023 season as a coaching assistant with the team.
With Norton's guidance, the Bears defense finished the season ranking amongst the best in the league in several categories: interceptions (22, T-1st), total rushing yards allowed (1,468, 1st), rushing yards allowed per game (86.4. 1st), rushing touchdowns allowed (8, 2nd), total opponent rushes (388, 2nd), takeaways (28, T-5th) and total first downs allowed (307, 7th). In his role, Norton also provided assistance to head coach Matt Eberflus by preparing the weekly practice plan, call sheets, scripts and scout team.
Prior to his arrival in Chicago, Norton spent the 2022 season as a football analyst at UCLA. Norton's first season in the league came in 2021, when he served as a defensive assistant coach for the Seattle Seahawks. Prior to becoming the Seahawks' defensive assistant coach, he spent the summer of 2021 as a coaching intern for Seattle through the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship.
Prior to beginning his coaching career, Norton worked as a production associate for the NFL for three years (2019-21). Norton also has experience on the football administration side, as he served as the Director of Football Operations for La Salle College High School in Pasadena, Calif. for a year in 2019 and as a summer administration intern for the Oakland Raiders in 2016.
A former collegiate defensive back, Norton played at Azusa Pacific University (Calif.) where he competed in 33 games across three seasons (2015-17). With the Cougars, Norton logged 85 tackles (54 solo), one interception, one TD and six passes defensed. After earning his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management from APU, he went on to earn his Master of Arts in Sports Management from the University of San Francisco in 2020.
A Santa Monica native, Norton graduated from Santa Monica High School after three years at Issaquah High School in Bellevue, Wash.
