Staff Spotlight: McKenzie's guiding principles

Norval McKenzie coaches for a greater purpose.  

Recently tabbed as assistant head coach, run game coordinator and running backs coach for Virginia Tech football, the Atlanta-area native brings not only 15 seasons of NCAA Division I running backs coaching experience, but also a powerful brand of mentorship shaped by his involvement with the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. 

Both of McKenzie’s parents were involved in Greek life, so he began his collegiate career as a running back at Vanderbilt with plans to join a fraternity. He gravitated toward Omega Psi Phi because of the values and brotherhood it embodied. 

The cardinal principles of Omega Psi Phi – manhood, scholarship, perseverance, and uplift – would later heavily influence his coaching philosophy. The fraternity taught him discipline, time management, organization, and structure – essential characteristics for a successful football coach, he explains.  

Those same principles also reflect many of the values honored during Black History Month. McKenzie pointed to perseverance, education and service as defining traits both within the fraternity and throughout Black history, highlighting influential Omega men such as physician Charles R. Drew, poet Langston Hughes and civil rights leader Jesse Jackson. Their legacies, he said, reinforce the importance of resilience, scholarship and uplift, which are ideals he strives to model and pass on to his players every day. 

"All those things wrapped into one are really the characteristics that help you and teach you every day," McKenzie explained. "Those are the same characteristics you want and need, in my opinion, to be a successful football coach. With those principles, I try to instill them in our guys and model them for them. That’s very, very important to me." 

For McKenzie, the fraternity principle of "uplift" means pouring time and energy back into the community. As a coach, he serves his players by guiding them on and off the field, while also encouraging involvement in community service activities like educational programs, wellness initiatives, and food drives. 

There's no greater feeling than being part of something bigger than yourself, and at Virginia Tech, football is family, an unbreakable brotherhood – a concept that resonates deeply with McKenzie. McKenzie sees brotherhood as a special bond with like-minded individuals who share similar aspirations and goals. 

From his teammates to his fraternity to his players and fellow coaches, each connection has helped shape McKenzie’s life. Now at Virginia Tech, he is committed to continuing to cultivate that same family culture. 

Fans will have their first chance to see that culture in action this spring. Take advantage of the opportunity to watch head coach James Franklin’s highly touted recruiting class and high impact transfers take the field alongside a talented group of returners at the 2026 Spring Game, presented by Eagle Construction, on April 18. RSVP for your chance to win exclusive prizes and experience the next chapter of Hokies football firsthand.  

Don't miss your opportunity to be in Lane Stadium this fall as new season tickets and season ticket renewals are still available. Fans interested in securing season tickets should complete their purchase and required Hokie Scholarship Fund giving by March 1 to lock in priority and participate in the Seat Improvement process.