February 6, 2015 — Ken Norton Jr. is hired by Jack Del Rio to be newest defensive coordinator of the Oakland Raiders. After five seasons as the linebackers coach of the Seattle Seahawks, Jack Del Rio tabbed Norton Jr. to lead Oakland’s defense, to the delight of many in Raider Nation.
Norton Jr. enjoyed much success as the linebackers coach in Seattle, helping groom and develop the Seahawks linebackers into a formidable group. As a player, Norton Jr. enjoyed 13 productive seasons as a linebacker himself, so given how much time he had spent around football, many expected him to be a fantastic coach.