Jesse Norman, a two-time graduate of Western Carolina University, is in his third season as WCU's head cross country and track & field coach after returning to the program in January, 2019.
In his first track & field season, Norman guided the Catamount men's team to their sixth straight Southern Conference indoor title and their fourth straight outdoor crown while winning Coach of the Year honors. The women's cross country team has had two Second Team All-Southern Conference honorees in Norman's first two seasons.Â
Norman returned to Cullowhee after spending the previous 12 seasons as head coach of the UNC Asheville cross country and track and field programs. Under Norman’s guidance, the Bulldogs had four student-athletes earn All-American honors along with eight NCAA East Preliminary qualifiers, 18 Big South Conference champions and 57 Big South All-Conference honorees. Norman is a two-time Big South Coach of the Year, most recently claiming the 2018 Big South Women’s Track Coach of the Year.
In addition to being successful in competition, Norman’s student-athletes have excelled in the classroom as he has had five scholar-athletes of the year and numerous USTFCCCA All-Academic awards.
Norman began his coaching career at Western Carolina under longtime Catamount head coach Danny Williamson and was part of two Southern Conference championships and coached several all-conference performers before taking the head coaching job at UNC Asheville.
One of the most accomplished runners in Western Carolina distance program history, Norman is the only Catamount to ever win a Southern Conference individual cross country championship as he took first place honors and was named Runner of the Year in 2001. At the conclusion of the 2018 cross country season, Norman continues to hold the seventh-fastest time in both the 8K and 10K events. During his track career, Norman earned All-Conference honors in the 10,000-meter run thanks to a third-place finish in 2000 and recorded seven top-eight finishes at the SoCon Indoor and Outdoor Championships during his career.
