Columbus State University Athletics

Jonathan Norton is entering his seventh season in charge of the Columbus State University women’s basketball program in the 2015-2016 season.   

Norton was named the second head coach of the women’s basketball program on April 21, 2009 taking over for legendary coach and CSU Hall of Famer, Jay Sparks. 

While being in charge of the Lady Cougar program, Norton has up kept CSU’s winning tradition, holding a 116-55 record in his first six seasons. He has coached eight All-Peach Belt Conference players including two Players of the Year (Phebe Smith, Michelle Mitchell).

Norton and the Lady Cougars completed a banner year during the 2014-15 season, recording a 31-2 overall record and reaching as high as No. 3 in the national polls. The Lady Cougars tied the program record for wins in a season, while winning the PBC Regular Season and Tournament championships. Columbus State then picked up its first NCAA Tournament victory since 2007 with a win over Carson-Newman in the first round.

In 2013-2014, Norton led the Lady Cougars to a 21-8 mark overall, the program's first 20-win season since 2006-2007. Columbus State earned the West No. 3 seed in the PBC Tournament and captured its first conference tournament championship since 2001. As a result, the Lady Cougars made their seventh appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the first under Norton.

Norton returned to Columbus State after two successful head coaching stints at Berry College and Lander University.  While at Berry, Norton guided the team to an 81-49 record during his four-year tenure there. In his first season with the Vikings, he led the team to a 24-9 mark, their first conference championship in 12 seasons and a national tournament berth. Berry also made it to the national tournament in his final two seasons.

While at Lander, Norton took a struggling program and quickly turned it around. Taking over a team that went 2-28 the year before his arrival, Norton won the school’s first ever Peach Belt Conference championship in just his second season, posting a 24-6 record. That year, the team set the school record for steals in a season with 401. Norton coached three All-Peach Belt student-athletes during his tenure at Lander including Tracy Jacobs who had the fifth highest single-season point total in the program’s history. 

Overall, Norton holds a career NCAA record of 166-91 in eight seasons and a total career mark of 246-140 in 13 years of head coaching experience.

Norton began his coaching career at Columbus State while an assistant under current athletic director Jay Sparks. As the top assistant and recruiting coordinator, he was part of 130 wins against only 33 losses in his first stint at CSU. That span included two Peach Belt Conference Championships, two South Atlantic Region Championships, four postseason appearances and two Elite Eight appearances. The 2001 team was ranked number one in the nation for most of the season and finished the year at 31-1 overall, falling in the semifinals to eventual national champion Cal Poly-Pomona.

Norton was also head cross country coach at CSU, taking a perennial last-place team and leading it to a new role as conference contender. He earned PBC Coach of the Year honors in 1999 after leading his CSU team to a second place finish in the conference.

As a student at Columbus State, Norton served as an athletic trainer and equipment manager. He earned his B.S. in Exercise Science in 1995 and his Master's of Education in Administration in 1997 from CSU.

Norton and wife Michelle, a former CSU athlete and Faculty Cup Winner, are both natives of Lilburn, GA. They are the parents of two daughters, Anna (born September 2006) and Emma (born July 2009).

Norton's CSU Record Year-By-Year