Ken Norris is in his 20th year as UCLA’s director of video operations. Norris and his staff are responsible for filming the practices and games of the UCLA football team. They work with the coaching staff and provide them with specialized footage or “cut-ups” of the team and opponents for coaching, scouting, and game-planning purposes.
Ken “The Godfather” Norris is considered one of the most innovative and respected minds in his profession and was named National Video Coordinator of the Year by his peers in the Collegiate Sports Video Association. One of Norris’ latest projects has been the development and implementation of the I2 Internet Exchange Program in the Pacific-10 Conference. This venture now allows the Conference’s 10 football programs to exchange coaching films through the internet, bypassing the use of videotape. This rapid exchange of film means teams can now acquire the opposition’s films more quickly, providing coaches with valuable additional time to scout and prepare for upcoming games. Norris is currently assisting other sports and other athletic conferences in implementing the I2 program in their respective sports.
Norris and his staff are also responsible for filming instructional and highlight footage for almost every UCLA Athletic program. They create many of the teams’ year-end highlight films. He is assisted by full-time staff members Eric Kowal and Tony Gentile and students Ethan Tussey, Phil Izdebzki, Eddie Kim, David Godoy, Forrest Lockwood and Robert Ledo.
Norris began his career working for the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams at age 13 splicing and editing 16mm film. Norris came to UCLA in 1989, replacing legendary cinematographer Stan Troutman after his retirement from the university. He and his wife, Joan, have two children, Travis (age 17) and Chelsea (15).