Nick Norton has a long history with Darian DeVries.
DeVries, who was an assistant at Creighton at the time, was the first college coach to recruit Norton when he was just 15-years old.
Norton would then commit to the Bluejays in June of 2012, but due to injuries including a torn ACL ended up at UAB which took him in a different direction from DeVries.
But after spending four seasons with the Blazers entered the transfer portal and again, DeVries was the first one to reach out to give him an opportunity at Drake where he was now the head coach in 2018.
Norton averaged 14.0 points, 5.9 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game before an injury ended his collegiate career and after a brief stint in the NBA G League found his way into coaching.
It had always been a lifelong dream for Norton who had watched his father Randy, the head women’s basketball coach at UAB, in the profession from the time he was a kid. He recalls two occasions where his parents were apart for nine months after his father took a new job in order to make things work for him and his sister. But being able to grow up in the gym, with a strong passion for the game made it an obvious fit.
“I looked forward to getting out of school every day and heading to the gym. Being able to watch my dad work and then falling in love with the game,” Norton said.
That’s where again DeVries was there as he offered him a role on his coaching staff ahead of the 2021-22 season as assistant director of operations before being elevated to the full role the next season. Then last season, Norton was again elevated to assistant coach/director of player development with the Bulldogs.
So naturally, when DeVries took the job at West Virginia Norton didn’t hesitate when given the opportunity to take on the same role in Morgantown.
“He means the world to me. He gave me a shot on the court, and he gave me a shot as a coach,” Norton said. “So, it’s been amazing to work for him, play for him.”
That last aspect comes in quite handy as Norton is still young enough to be able to connect with the current players and explain to them what DeVries is looking for in any given situation. That’s because he’s lived it and understands what it’s supposed to look like on the floor.
On offense, DeVries likes to utilize a high-paced attack where he gives his players confidence to make plays and hit shots, while on the defensive end he demands physicality and toughness.
“One thing that I’ve kind of stressed as I’ve moved into a recruiting spot with these kids is that this is a coach and a style of play that you want to be in,” Norton said.
DeVries doesn’t assign his assistants specific positions on the floor and instead wants them to intermingle with all of the different groups and players on the roster. That gives them an opportunity not only to build relationships with different players on the team, but also develop as a coach.
It’s something Norton has fully embraced.
“So, when you do tell them stuff they have a trust factor,” he said.
Norton has continued to grow in his role in the game and given his background, there is still a lot of development left to go. But DeVries is more than happy to have him on his side.
“I just love the enthusiasm that Nick brings every single day. That energy, it’s a long season and you have to have that coming from as many people as possible throughout the year. He’s a great addition to the staff and obviously somebody I trust,” DeVries said.
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