Entering his second season as defensive line coach is former Ram Elijah Norris. Norris joined the Shepherd staff in 2025.
In 2024 the Rams rebounded from an 0-4 start to post a 7-4 overall mark. Senior defensive lineman Nathan Muhle earned first team All-PSAC East honors, while senior Jack Baxter garnered second team honors. The defensive line helped Shepherd rank first in the PSAC in forced fumbles (2.27) and interceptions with 14 in 11 games.
Norris comes to Shepherd after serving as defensive line coach at UVa-Wise.
Prior to working at UVa-Wise, Norris was at nearby Jefferson High School where he served as the Defensive Coordinator/Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Line Coach for four years.
A 2022 Shepherd graduate, played football for the Rams for two seasons after transferring from UConn. He was a member of the 2015 Shepherd team that advanced to the Division II Championship Game. Norris gained second team All-MEC honors in 2017 as he recorded 44 total tackles (34 solo) with 11.0 tackles-for-loss (-49 yards) and 6.5 sacks (-36 yards), a pair of pass breakups, a forced fumble, a blocked kick, and an interception.
After his collegiate career, Norris had stints playing professional ball with the Chicago Bears and the Montreal Alouettes.
