Joe Norton is the head women's coach and assistant men's coach at North Central – a Division III program located in Naperville, Illinois. The Cardinal women's team made history last season by becoming the first D3 wrestling program to win a college national team championship against every NCAA division. 

The North Central women's program began during the 2019-20 season and had 15 All-Americans and three national champions at the 2023 National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships. 

Below are Joe Norton's five core coaching principles that define North Central's championship philosophy. 

Coaching 101: Joe Norton

Competitive Response
How we respond to adversity immediately after it strikes will determine the outcome of the situation. Giving up a takedown, getting on the scale and seeing a higher number than expected, getting a flat tire, failing a test, etc. Where does your mind go immediately after something bad happens? We preach having a competitive response to adversity, every time it strikes! Turn your mind immediately away from the bad thing that happened, and toward the solution!

Team First
Always put your team before yourself. Human nature is to be selfish and want to take care of yourself first. But we take pride in putting ourselves behind the team. Do this daily. The success of the team is more important than that of any one individual on it. Once we behave this way every day for an extended period, it becomes our new nature and way of thinking.

Trust
Trust your coaches. This is our full-time job. Everyone has a job – mine is to help you win! We spend every day and night thinking about the team and the individuals on it, and how to make you all successful. When you’re in class, I’m watching film. When you’re sleeping, I’m awake thinking about ways to help you jump levels. When you’re talking to your friends on the bus ride, I’m behind the wheel thinking about how you’re going to win that big match at this event. Trust that we have developed the plan to lead you to victory, and go out and execute it.

Don’t Do Things That You Know You Shouldn’t Do
We preach this with the team often. Imagine if you went an entire week without doing one thing that, at the time you did it, you knew you shouldn’t do. Skipping class, procrastinating on your homework, eating the wrong thing, snoozing your alarm, cheating on your boyfriend/girlfriend, skipping a workout, etc. These are all things that people do, despite knowing at the time that it’s something they shouldn’t do. Imagine if you went an entire week, or a month, or a YEAR without doing one single thing that you knew you shouldn’t do at the time. Imagine how good your life would be!

Be Excited to Be Here
Wrestling is fun! You’re doing it because you love it. You’re choosing to be here! Don’t let the weight cut, or the chemistry class, or the argument with your friend or parent keep you from being excited to be here. When we are excited about what we are doing, we are going to do it well.