High School

Former Valley standout, Johnston coach named new leader of Drake football

Joe Woodley was named the new head coach at Drake just days after winning the NAIA national championship at Grand View

Dana Becker

Joe Woodley was named the new head football coach at Drake University.
Joe Woodley was named the new head football coach at Drake University. / Drake Bulldogs Football/Twitter

Joe Woodley won’t have far to go for his new coaching gig.

Following a successful six-year run with Grand View University that included winning the NAIA national championship this past weekend, Woodley has been tabbed the new head coach at Drake University.

He replaces Todd Stepsis, who was hired at the University of Northern Iowa to replace long-time leader Mark Farley.

Woodley, a native of Clive, was a standout for West Des Moines Valley before helping Iowa State play in three bowl games. He was a team captain for the Cyclones. 

In 2004, Woodley embarked on his coaching career, directing defensive backs and linebackers at St. Ambrose in 2004-05. He was the defensive line and linebacker coach for Johnston in 2006-07 before landing at Grand View.

From 2008-17, Woodley served as the defensive coordinator for the Vikings under his father, Mike Woodley. He shifted to the offensive side in 2018 before replacing Mike Woodley as head coach.

In his first season, Grand View went 13-1 and reached the NAIA semifinals. They followed that up by making the quarterfinals the following year and the championship game in 2021. 

After reaching the semis and quarters again, the Vikings finished first this past year, going 14-0. Woodley never lost a regular season game, placing in the NAIA Coaches Poll Top 4 each year while going 72-5 overall and 29-0 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference.

Mike and Joe Woodley coached each Grand View team since the program was created in 2008, also winning a national title in 2013. The coaching staff for the Vikings also included his brother, Andy Woodley, this past season.

Published
Dana Becker
DANA BECKER

Dana Becker has been a sports writer in Iowa since 2000, writing for The Fort Dodge Messenger, Mason City Globe-Gazette, Cedar Rapids Gazette and others. Dana resides in northcentral Iowa and started as a writer with SB Live Sports in 2022 focused on the state of Iowa. Along with providing coverage of football and wrestling, Dana also spotlights cross country, swimming, basketball, track and field, soccer, tennis, golf, baseball and softball. He began writing for High School on SI in 2023.

Home/Iowa