The Hank Norton Center-Taking Ferrum Athletics to the next level

Over the long storied history of Ferrum College athletics, no name is more synonymous with success than that of Hank Norton. Coach Norton, a Huntington West Virginia native, came to Ferrum in 1960 after a successful career as coach at Powhatan High School. While his accomplishments are well known, I would be remiss to not again highlight some of them.

• Ferrum Head Football Coach from 1960-1993. His overall record at Ferrum was 244-77-11.
• 29 of the 34 seasons were winning campaigns, and five of those seasons the Panthers were undefeated.
• He has taken teams to four NCAA playoff berths
• Two South Region Titles (1988 and ’89)
• Four Junior College national titles (1965, ‘68, ‘74 and ‘77)
  
• National Junior College Coach of the Year in 1966, 1968, and 1974
• Named Coastal Conference Coach of the Year six times.
  
• His teams won 15 Junior College Region X Titles
• Has seen 42 of the players sign professional contracts.
• Elected to the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, class of 2006.
  

While this list may not include every detail of Coach Norton's career, it represents accomplishments that were gained by passing his knowledge of the game on to his players, instilling iron clad expectations of commitment to success both on the field and in the classroom, and helping the student athlete realize that through hard work and dedication, can come lifelong achievements.

The 34 seasons that Coach Norton gave to Ferrum College and the accomplishments in those seasons are phenomenal. During many of those seasons, Ferrum was still in its infancy of intercollegiate athletics. (Football was first played at Ferrum in 1955, and Norton was the fourth head coach) The facilities were fairly sparse, and still being developed, but in his sixth season, and the programs eleventh, Coach Norton took the Junior College program to its first National Championship.

Today, Ferrum College, under the leadership of Dr. Jennifer Braaten, is going through a renaissance. Last year Ferrum dedicated it's third new dormitory since her tenure began in 2002. Enrollment is increasing, and Ferrum's campus has taken on a new, more modern look.

The Hank Norton Athletic Center will be the next step in the campus re birth. A modern facility that has been long needed. This facility will provide the Panther athlete and coaches the most up to date conveniences, in an effort to maintain the winning tradition that Coach Norton started in 1960. Below are links to inform you about the entire project. Please visit these pages often, and follow the progress of the Hank Norton Athletic Center.

Overview of the proposed Hank Norton Center

To contribute to this important project: