Chicago State Interim Director of Athletics
Jessica Poole announced today that
Norris Howze has been elevated to head men's soccer coach effective July 1. Howze had been serving as the head coach in an interim role since February 25 and takes over the Chicago State men's soccer program in advance of the Cougars joining the Mid-American Conference (MAC) beginning with the 2022-23 academic year.
"We did a thorough national search and realized that the best person for our job was in-house," Poole said. "Norris has been an integral part of this program since its inception and I have full confidence that with his knowledge of our program, players and University, we will continue to see the program succeed."
Howze originally came to Chicago State at the beginning of the 2021 season after a stint as an assistant coach at the University of Memphis, where he was hired in 2017.
With Howze on staff, the Tigers reached new heights in 2019, as they won 10 matches for the first time since 2011. In addition, five players earned selections to all-conference teams. Before joining Memphis, he served as the director of operations at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where he was responsible for the organization of travel and meals for the Blazers along with day-to-day office operations. While at UAB, Howze also had the opportunity to travel to the Netherlands and Italy, both as as a player and director of operations.
While playing for UAB from 2010-13 as defensive midfielder, Howze appeared in 69 games. In 2011, he was selected to the UAB 'Soccer For A Cure' Classic All-Tournament team for his role in helping the Blazers to the championship. Howze was also the team's Most Improved Player in 2011.
After his UAB run, Howze continued his playing career for two summers with the Birmingham Hammers, a team in the National Premier Soccer League, in 2015 and 2016.
He also served as the BUSA Academy coach in the spring of 2014, the Oak Mountain High School freshman head coach and assistant varsity coach in 2014 and 2015, and the Vestavia Academy coach in 2015 to 2017.
A native of Hoover, Ala., Howze was a four-year varsity starter at Hoover High School coached by Kris Keplinger. Coming into college, Howze was the No. 6 player in the South by TopDrawerSoccer.com. In 2009, he was named to the North-South All-Star contest and was an all-state and all-metro selection following his senior year.
About Chicago State
Chicago State University Athletics is comprised of 15 intercollegiate teams involving over 150 student-athletes that compete in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and volleyball. CSU held memberships in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and NCAA Division II before transitioning to NCAA Division I in 1994. Melvin Bland was the first CSU student-athlete to gain NAIA All-American status in 1974 as a wrestler. Fred Evans became the first black swimmer ever to win a national championship in 1975. In 1991, the Chicago State women's tennis team became the first all-black college team to amass an unbeaten season at the NCAA level. CSU's women's basketball team earned a spot in the 2011 Women's Basketball Invitational and CSU's men's basketball team won the 2013 Great West Conference Tournament title, also making an appearance in the CollegeInside.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). The Men's Outdoor Track & Field 4x100-Meter Relay team were 2019 Honorable Mention All-Americans and WAC Champions. Their feat marked the first time the Chicago State's men's track & field program was represented at the national meet. Chicago State volleyball recorded a historic season in 2021, with Yanlis Feliz becoming CSU's first volleyball All-American and head coach
Tony Trifonov earning selection as WAC Coach of the Year. During that same season, three different CSU teams earned victories over Big Ten opponents with men's soccer beating Northwestern, women's basketball upending Wisconsin and volleyball, which established a school record 17 wins and hosted a post-season volleyball tournament for the first time in program history, swept Indiana in Bloomington.
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