The National Wrestling Coaches Association recently announced that North Central College head women’s wrestling coach Joe Norton is the inaugural recipient of the 2026 NCAA Women’s National Coach of the Year.
Norton continues the long run of success for the Cardinal program
Joe Norton began his tenure as the North Central women’s coach before the 2019-20 season and has helped develop 52 All-Americans, 34 NWCA Scholar All-Americans, six individual national champions, while winning the 2023 team national championship.
During the 2025-26 campaign, the Cardinals captured the NWCA National Duals title for the first time and the inaugural NCAA Regional Championship while being the only Division III program to qualify all 10 wrestlers for the 2026 NCAA Women’s Championships.
“Coach Norton has built one of the most respected programs in the country through consistency, toughness, and accountability,” said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. “The success of North Central’s athletes is a direct reflection of the culture he has established.”
North Central also won the CCIW Championship for a fourth consecutive season.
Coach Norton is no stranger to accolades, having been named NWCA Women’s Coach of the National Tournament three times in the past four seasons.
North Central is ready to compete for another national title
NCC is ready for another run at the national championship after finishing as the NWCA runner-up in back-to-back seasons. Heading into the first-ever NCAA Women’s Wrestling National Championship this weekend, five Cardinal wrestlers won regional titles, and all 10 are seeded in the top six at the national tournament, including Sara Sterner, the top seed at 124 pounds, and Bella Mir at 145 pounds, who both finished as national runners-up in 2025.
The inaugural NCAA Women’s Wrestling National Championships will be held at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa, on Friday and Saturday, March 6-7. Competition will begin at 10 a.m. on both days.
