By Jai’Michael Anderson
The U of L Athletic Association Board of Directors will promote women’s soccer Associate Head Coach Hunter Norton, effective March 1, 2026.
The Board met in a special session on Feb. 19 to transition Norton into the retiring head coach’s position. The current head coach, Karen Ferguson-Dayes, will take on an advisory role with a base salary of $100,000 from March 1 to June 30. This is a $120,000 decrease from her current deal, which began in 2024.
Ferguson-Dayes joined U of L women’s soccer as head coach in 2000. Before her arrival, the program had one winning season in the 15 years prior. She has since become the winningest coach in Louisville history, transforming the team into a top-25 program.
Norton arrived at U of L as a volunteer assistant. For two years, he assisted with every part of the program while developing its social media presence. He became an assistant coach in 2017.
Norton will make a base salary of $155,000 through 2029. His contract includes bonuses based on the team’s performance, such as a $10,000 incentive for winning the ACC tournament. An NCAA College Cup appearance will earn him a $20,000 raise.
The Cardinals finished the 2025 season with their most regular-season wins in program history, going 13-5-3. The team also advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. This was the Cardinals’ first NCAA tournament appearance since 2019 and their second time going that far under Norton.
File photo / The Louisville Cardinal
