MEDFORD, MA (July 2, 2024) – Tufts University Director of Athletics John Morris announced Tuesday the appointment of Jamie Norton '14 as the new Director of Track & Field/Cross Country. In his role as Director, Norton will lead the six men's and women's cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field teams across the three seasons.
"We are so happy that Jamie will be coming back home to Tufts to lead the Jumbos," said Morris. "As an alumnus, All-American student-athlete and former assistant coach for the Jumbos, Jamie cares deeply about Tufts and the mission of our department."
"I came away from our conversations so impressed with his values, competitive spirit, and commitment to providing our Jumbos with a well-rounded and transformational student experience," said Morris. "Jamie has an exciting vision for elevating our entire Tufts cross country and track & field program to new levels of success, and I can't wait for him to get started."
Norton comes back to Tufts after serving as the head men's and women's cross country coach at the University of La Verne since 2021. Norton helped the women's team to its best NCAA Regional finish in 10 years in 2023, while the men's team was a Top 10 Regional finisher for three straight years.
He also served as the distance coach for the track and field programs at La Verne. He assisted six All-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) performers and three NCAA qualifiers, while helping register 11 distance school records and 74 Top 10 all-time distance marks.
"I'm so excited to be coming back to "The Hill" to lead the track and field and cross country programs, and I'm grateful to John Morris and (Tufts Deputy Director of Athletics) Alexis Mastronardi for giving me this opportunity," said Norton. "Tufts means a lot to me and my time on the team helped me grow into the person I am today and form deep meaningful relationships with so many people along the way. I can't wait for the opportunity to help others have that experience and to help the program continue to thrive."
Prior to his time at La Verne, Norton was an assistant coach of cross country and track and field at Williams College in Williamstown, MA. He helped develop training programs for over 70 cross country student-athletes, while coaching the distance events in track and field. He was on a coaching staff that achieved a team title in NCAA Indoor Track and Field while working with five cross country All-Americans and 10 track and field All-Americans.
Before Williams, he was an assistant coach at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois from 2016 through 2018, helping assist with three NCAA title teams as well as the management of the 2017 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. He worked extensively with horizontal jumpers as well with the Cardinals. His first taste of coaching came at his alma mater, as he was the cross country and track assistant for the Jumbos from 2014 through 2016, assisting eight All-Americans for Tufts.
As a student-athlete, Norton was a standout for the Tufts cross country and track and field programs from 2010 through 2014. Graduating with a B.A. in international relations and economics, he was a two-time All-American in the distance medley and 1500-meter run. He qualified for the NCAA Championships five times, twice in both indoor and outdoor track and field, as well as once in cross country. Norton was the NESCAC champion in the 1500 meters in 2014, and is also the school record holder in the indoor mile. He later earned his M.B.A. in marketing at North Central in in 2018.
"It means so much, I can't even begin to count the number of people who've impacted my life over the years who I am connected to because of this (Tufts Track and Field and Cross Country) program," said Norton. "I feel a strong responsibility to both honor the legacy of the program and help build it to an even better place in the future. I know how much this team means to so many people because I am one of them, and so I take seriously the opportunity to lead the next phase of the program and hopefully help the program reflect values and achieve success that alums can be proud of."
Norton has also helped coach at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center as an Elite Team Coach, where he has coached athletes at the US Olympic Trials in the marathon, steeplechase and 800 meters. He has earned the Specialist Certification in jumping from the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), while also holding the USTFCCCA Strength and Conditioning Certification. Norton has been published in the USTFCCCA Techniques Magazine as well.
"Tufts is a place that is set up for success on so many levels, it's an excellent institution in a prime location that can attract a wide array of talented, motivated, and diverse student-athletes," said Norton. "The department has set a high standard for success and clearly supports its programs to be successful, and I can't wait to be a part of that environment."
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