Norton Succeeds Enger as Pierce Head Football Coach

Bill Norton, an assistant football coach at Pierce College for the past two seasons, has been hired to replace Head Coach Bob Enger, who announced his resignation Friday.

Norton, 43, was introduced as the new Brahma coach at a press conference at Pierce on Monday, three days after Pierce’s final game of the season.

“When I came here two years ago, my goal was to become the head football coach at Pierce College,” Norton said. “So I’m excited. I think this program is headed in the right direction. . . . I think Pierce is a potential gold mine.”

Pierce had a 9-21 record under Enger, 55, who took over in 1988 after the school had not fielded a team in the previous two seasons due to budgetary cuts.

Norton was an assistant at Glendale College in 1987 and 1988 before coming to Pierce. He was head coach at Palmdale High from 1984-86 and at Bishop Montgomery High from 1977-83.

Bishop Montgomery advanced to the Northwestern Conference championship in 1983, losing to Canyon, 40-24.

Pierce has posted 4-6 records in the past two seasons after finishing 1-9 in 1988.

“We didn’t improve in the win-loss column this season,” Norton said. “But we were a much better team. We played several teams much closer this year than we did last year.”

Bakersfield, the No. 1-ranked team in J. C. Grid-Wire national poll, came from behind to defeat the Brahmas, 38-35, in a Western State Conference finale Friday, when Renegade kicker Jon Baker hit a 47-yard field goal with one second left.