North Carolina State Names Chow Offensive Coordinator/Quarterback Coach
Raleigh, N.C. (Jan. 31, 2000) -- NC State head football coach Chuck Amato has announced long-time BYU assistant coach Norm Chow will join the Wolfpack staff, and will serve as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Chow has spent the last 22 years at Brigham Young University, where he has coordinated the Cougar offense since 1985, was assistant head coach, and directed the quarterbacks and wide receivers.
"Norm has made an outstanding contribution to the success of our program over the years," said BYU head coach LaVell Edwards. "Norm is an extremely bright, hard-working and innovative football coach. He will definitely be a tremendous asset to the North Carolina State football program."
Chow, who was named the 1999 National Assistant Coach of the Year by the American Football Foundation, coached Heisman Trophy and two-time Davey O'Brien winner Ty Detmer, as well as two other O'Brien Trophy winners in Steve Young and Jim McMahon. He was named the 1996 American Football Quarterly Division I Offensive Coordinator of the Year and the 1993 Athlon National Assistant Coach of the Year. He coached in 20 bowl games for the Cougars, including the 1984 Holiday Bowl victory over Michigan to win the National Championship. He has directed more than a dozen players who have gone on to the NFL.
"I met Norm Chow 20 years ago when I was at Arizona and we've been friends since," said Amato. "When you think about BYU, you think of offensive firepower, and Norm is a big factor in that reputation. He is a proven winner and has fielded an offense that can move the ball and score points. It was a great steal for us to get a man of his reputation."
BYU ranked eighth nationally in passing offense last season with 324 yards per game and 13th in total offense, gaining 425 yards per game. Chow's departure from BYU marks the first change in that coaching staff since 1995 when Brian Mitchell was added to the staff as a defensive assistant. Prior to Amato's departure from Florida State, the Seminole staff had the second-longest average tenure in the nation at 15.7 years and BYU ranked third nationally (15.5 years).
"We appreciate the many years of dedicated service Norm has given the BYU football program," BYU men's athletic director Val Hale said. "We are supportive of his decision to join the staff at North Carolina State, and we whish him well in his new job."
A Honolulu native, Chow was a two-year starter at offensive guard for the University of Utah while playing from 1965-67. He earned All-WAC and honorable mention All-America honors in 1967 and was recently selected to the University of Utah's All-Century Team. After playing in the Canadian Football League, he served as the head coach at Waialua High School from 1970-73.
Chow earned his B.S. in physical education from the University of Utah in 1968, his M.S. in special education from Utah in 1970 and his EdD in educational psychology from BYU in 1979. He and his wife, the former Diane Carter, have three sons, Carter, Cameron and Chandler and one daughter, Maile.
