Norm Chow

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Norm Chow bigraphy, stories - American football player and coach

Norm Chow : biography

May 3, 1946 –

Norman Chow ( born May 3, 1946) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, a position he assumed in December 2011. Chow previously held the offensive coordinator position for the Utah Utes, UCLA Bruins, the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, USC Trojans, NC State Wolfpack, and BYU Cougars.Chris Foster, , Los Angeles Times, January 21, 2008.

Chow won the 2002 Broyles Award as the nation’s top collegiate assistant coach. He also was named the 2002 NCAA Division I-A Offensive Coordinator of the Year by American Football Monthly and was named the National Assistant Coach of the Year in 1999 by the American Football Foundation. He is well known for developing quarterbacks such as Jim McMahon, Steve Young, Ty Detmer, Philip Rivers, Carson Palmer, and Matt Leinart.

Notable players coached

  • Reggie Bush, USC, Heisman Trophy winner, first-round draft pick
  • Matt Cassel, USC
  • Ty Detmer, BYU, Heisman Trophy winner
  • Matt Leinart, USC, Heisman Trophy winner, first-round draft pick
  • Jim McMahon, BYU, first-round draft pick
  • Carson Palmer, USC, Heisman Trophy winner, first draft pick overall
  • Philip Rivers, N.C. State, first-round draft pick
  • Marc Wilson, BYU, first-round draft pick
  • Steve Young, BYU, first-round draft pick
  • Vince Young, Texas, first-round draft pick

Head coaching interest

In addition to Stanford, Chow has officially interviewed for the head coaching jobs of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals; and, the NCAA’s North Carolina State University, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Hawaii.

In 2002, Chow turned down an offer to be the head coach of the University of Kentucky, and opted to stay at USC.

Chow was a candidate to replace Karl Dorrell at UCLA, but withdrew his candidacy soon after interviewing. Chow was also considered to replace June Jones at the University of Hawaii in 2008.

On December 21, 2011 Chow was named head coach of the University of Hawaii.

Awards and honors

  • 2004 National Championship (USC)
  • 2003 National Championship (USC)
  • 2002 Broyles Award (Nation’s top assistant coach)
  • 2002 NCAA Division I-A Offensive Coordinator of the Year by American Football Monthly
  • 1999 National Assistant Coach of the Year by the American Football Foundation
  • 1996 NCAA Division I-A Offensive Coordinator of the Year by American Football Monthly
  • 1993 National Assistant Coach of the Year by Athlon in 1993
  • 1984 National Championship (BYU)
  • Utah’s All-Century Team as an offensive lineman

Education and playing career

Chow, a native of Honolulu, and an alumnus of Punahou School, played college football for the University of Utah. Chow was a 2-year starter and a three-year letterman offensive guard for the Utes. In his senior season, Chow was named to the All-WAC first team and gained All-America honorable mention honors. He then played briefly in the Canadian Football League, for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, before an injury ended his professional athletic career. He was selected to Utah’s All-Century Team.

He received his master’s degree in special education from Utah and a doctorate in educational psychology, Ed.D., from Brigham Young University in 1978.

Coaching career

Chow began his coaching career in Hawaii, where he was born, at Waialua High and Intermediate School. He was the head coach there from 1970 to 1972. In 1973 he left for BYU to be a Graduate Assistant, a position he held for two seasons. He was promoted to receivers coach in 1976, a post he would hold until 1982 (apart from a one-year stint as running backs coach).

In 1982, head coach LaVell Edwards named Chow as principal offensive play-caller. He continued to call all the offensive plays until he left the program after the 1999 season. In 1984 BYU won the consensus national championship. He became quarterbacks coach in 1986, and was officially given the title of offensive coordinator in 1996. During his 27 years with BYU, they had a record of 244–91–3.