North Central College Cardinals

Joe Norton '10/M '13 returned to North Central College as the head men's wrestling coach in 2014 after previously holding the same position at Knox College. From 2014-2022, Norton served as the head coach. Prior to the 2022-2023 season, he transitioned to the associate men's wrestling coach role while being named the College's first-ever head coach of the women's wrestling program. During his time at the helm of the men's program. the Cardinals went 84-39 in dual meets, won 34 straight conference duals (which is now at 50), garnered 28 NWCA Scholar All-Americans, 29 individual CCIW champions, 31 NCAA Division III National Qualifiers, 19 All-Americans, two NCAA Division III National Champions, and led North Central to their highest finish in program history with a third-place finish at the 2022 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships.

On May 8, 2018, he was officially introduced as the first head coach of the Cardinals' women's wrestling program, which began competing during the 2019-2020 season. In the first five years of the program, Norton led the Cardinals to 48 dual wins, 52 All-Americans, 34 NWCA Scholar All-American honors, six individual national championships, and a Team National Championship in 2023.

Norton helped coach Yelena Makoyed to a 106-6 career record with three National Titles, a four-time All-American, numerous international gold medals, and the first-ever USA Wrestling Women's College Wrestler of the Year in 2023. On the men's side Norton helped coach Robbie Precin to a 141-4 career record, two-time undefeated National Champion, five-time All-American, five-time CCIW Champion, and four-time Regional Champion while posting a 92-match winning streak, the ninth best in NCAA history across all divisions.

Norton won the NWCA Women's Coach of the National Tournament, a two-time NCWWC's Northwest Regional Women's Coach of the Year, and earned the NWCA Women's Coach of the National Tournament in both 2022 and 2023. He is also a four-time CCIW Coach of the Year.

He is currently the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Rankings Committee representative for the Midwest Region of NCAA Division III. 


Men's

• Nine-year dual meet record of 84-39 (53-12 since 2017)
• 34 Consecutive CCIW Dual Meet Wins 
• 2018 and 2019 CCIW Team Championships
• 2022 CCIW Dual Meet Champions
• 17 Division III All-American Awards
• 18 Division III NCAA Qualifiers
• 23 Individual CCIW Championships
• Two National Champions
• 24 NWCA Scholar All-American Awards

Women's

• 2022-23 NCWWC National Champions
• Five Individual National Titles
• 4-year dual meet record of 48-11
• 52 NWCWC All-Americans
• 34 NWCA Scholar All-Americans
• Team placed 2nd at Nationals in 2024
• Team placed 4th at Nationals in 2022

• CCIW Coach of the Year
  • Men's - 2018, 2019
  • Women's - 2023, 2024
• NWCA Lower Midwest Region Coach of the Year
  • 2018
• NWCA Women's Coach of the National Tournament 
  • 2022, 2023
• NCWWC Northwest Regional Women's Coach of the Year 
  • 2022, 2023, 2024
• NCAA Division III Regional Coaching Staff of the Year
  • 2022
• Inducted into the Montini Catholic High School Hall of Fame in 2022 

• Member of three state championship teams at Montini Catholic High School
  • Earned All-State and All-America honors as a senior
• Four-year member of North Central wrestling program, contributing to three straight CCIW team championships
• Placed at regional championships all four years at 125 pounds, including third-place showing in 2009
• Earned North Central Senior Influence Award and CCIW Merle Chapman Leadership Award in 2010
• Graduated from North Central with bachelor's degree in print journalism (2010) and master's degree in sports leadership (2012)