Years In Coaching: 22nd
Years at USF: 2nd
Alma Mater: Shepherd, ’03; master’s degree ‘13
Hometown: Waynesboro, Va.
NOTABLE:
• Guided USF's first 3,000-yard passer in a season as Byrum Brown set program records for yards, completions, completion percentage and touchdown passes in 2023.
• Helped lead Iowa State from 3-9 to five straight bowl games and 2020 Fiesta Bowl
• Coached ISU offense that produced three of the most prolific seasons in Cyclone football history.
• Mentored four-time All-Big 12 performer Brock Purdy, who became the best quarterback in Iowa State history setting or tying 32 school records.
• Offensive coordinator at Emory & Henry (2008-10)
• All-conference quarterback at Shepherd, posting program career records in passing yards (7,236), completions (522), total offense (7,677) and touchdown passes (66).
Bowl Experience as a Coach
2023 Boca Raton Bowl - USF
2021 Cheez-It Bowl – Iowa State
2020 Fiesta Bowl – Iowa State
2019 Camping World Bowl – Iowa State
2018 Alamo Bowl – Iowa State
2017 Liberty Bowl – Iowa State
Joel Gordon joined Alex Golesh's first USF staff in December of 2022 and serves as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.
In his first season, he helped USF produce 12 team and 16 individual records as the Bulls capped the biggest turnaround in program history (a six-win improvement) with a 45-0 rout of Syracuse in the Boca Raton Bowl. USF ranked No. 17 nationally in total offense (451.6 ypg) and tallied 5,871 yards, the third-best mark in program history. The Bulls produced 415 points, the fifth-best mark in program history, and ran for 182.8 ypg (2,377 yards) to rank third in the AAC while setting team records for pass yards (3,494), pass completions (287), completion percentage (64.1), touchdown passes (27) and offensive plays (1,028).
The Bulls’ offense led the nation in plays per game (82.1) as redshirt freshman quarterback Byrum Brown became the program’s first 3,000-yard passer, setting individual records for touchdown passes (26), passing yards (3,292), completions (276), completion percentage (64.6%) and 300-yard passing games (4). His 4,101 total yards and 37 touchdowns responsible for both finished as the second-best season totals at USF and he ranked No. 8 nationally in total offense (315.5 ypg) and points per game responsible for (17.4 ppg) as he joined Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels of LSU as the only FBS players to post at least 3,000 passing and 800 rushing yards on the year.
Meanwhile, former walk-on Sean Atkins became the program’s first 1,000-yard receiver (1,054) and added the season receptions record (92) while finishing No. 8 nationally in receptions per game (7.1) and No. 25 in receiving yards.
Gordon came to USF after serving as Iowa State passing game coordinator since 2019 and coaching Cyclone quarterbacks for five of his seven seasons as part of Matt Campbell’s ISU staff.
Gordon worked alongside Golesh for four seasons at Iowa State (2016-19), helping the Cyclones to a turn-around from a 3-9 season before their arrival to a run of five-straight bowl games and 9-3, Fiesta Bowl season in 2020.
Gordon helped to foster incredible improvement during his time in Ames. The Cyclones annually appeared in the national rankings and totaled five of ISU’s six above-.500 conference seasons in the history of the Big 12 Conference (1996-present) since 2017. He played a huge role in mentoring four-time All-Big 12 performer Brock Purdy into the best quarterback in Iowa State history. In his four seasons, Purdy set or tied 32 school records while establishing himself as an elite quarterback on the national level. Selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, he started in Week 14 of his rookie season for the San Francisco 49ers and led the team to a win with 185 yards and two touchdowns passing.
Since 2019, ISU produced three of the most prolific offenses in the history of Cyclone football. ISU set school records for total offense (444.3 ypg), touchdowns (53), points (418) and yards per play (6.45) and logged the third-best scoring offense (32.2 ppg) in school history in 2019, and followed that up with the second-best scoring offense (32.9 ppg) and third-best total offense (436.3 ypg) totals in Cyclone history in 2020.
In 2021, the Cyclones recorded the fourth-best scoring average (31.3 ppg) and the fifth-best total offense (424.5 ypg), respectively, in the history of the program. ISU also ranked second nationally in red zone offense, converting on 47-of-49 trips for a 95.9 percent clip to help the Cyclones earn a school-record fifth-straight bowl appearance.
In 2022, in his first season as starting quarterback Hunter Dekkers completed 66 percent of his passes for 3,044 yards and 19 touchdowns, finishing second in the Big 12 in passing yards and completion percentage and third in touchdown passes while leading the conference with 302 completions.
During the historic 2020 season, ISU finished the regular season in first place in the Big 12 standings, made the Big 12 Championship game and qualified for a New Year’s Six bowl for the first time in school history. The Cyclones capped off the season with a 34-17 win over Oregon in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl.
ISU’s eight conferences wins and nine overall wins eclipsed or tied school records, and the Cyclones earned their highest ranking in school history during the season (No. 6) and postseason (No. 9).
Purdy was selected an All-Big 12 First Team quarterback in 2020 and 2021, becoming ISU's first signal-caller to earn first team all-league honors since 1981.
The winningest quarterback (30) in school history who was 16-1 as a starter in Jack Trice Stadium vs. Big 12 teams, Purdy owns virtually every career passing mark in ISU history: passing yards (12,170), total offense (13,347), completions (993), touchdown passes (81), touchdowns responsible for (100), completion percentage (67.7) and passing efficiency (151.1). Purdy’s passing yardage, completion and total offense totals all rank in the Big 12 career Top 10 all-time, and he is one of only six players in league history to amass 10,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a career.
Purdy’s best statistical season was 2019, a year he obliterated virtually every Cyclone season passing record, including passing yardage (3,982), passing touchdowns (27), completions (312), total offense (4,231) and 300-yard passing games (6). He ended the 2019 campaign fourth nationally in passing yards per game (306.3) and was fifth in the nation in total offense (325.5). He also set or tied single-game program records in total offense (510), passing touchdowns (5), touchdowns responsible (6) and completions (39).
Gordon started as an offensive analyst for the Cyclones (2016-17). ISU averaged 421.6 yards of total offense in 2016, the seventh-best clip in the ISU record book.'
He was hired as offensive coordinator at Division III Ferrum College (Va.) in January of 2016, but left four months later when Campbell asked him to assist with the Iowa State offense.
A former college quarterback, Gordon spent five seasons at his alma mater Shepherd (W.V.) University (2011-15), helping the team to three league titles as quarterbacks and wide receivers coach. Gordon, who assisted in calling passing plays, coached in the 2015 Division II national championship game in his final season at the school.
It was the second of two stints Gordon served at his alma mater. The Rams were 49-9 and qualified for three NCAA Division II playoff appearances from 2011-15. In 2011, the Rams broke the school record for points per game (43.5), ranking third in the nation in scoring offense. Gordon mentored all-conference signal-callers Bobby Cooper and Jeff Ziemba while at Shepherd. Cooper broke the school’s single-game passing mark by throwing for 430 yards at Fairmont State.
For three seasons, Gordon served as offensive coordinator at Emory & Henry (2008-10), a Division III school in Virginia. He worked alongside former ISU offensive coordinator Tom Manning, who was the offensive line coach at the school in 2008. The Wasps were 18-12 in his three seasons directing the offense.
His first tenure at Shepherd was from 2005-07, helping the team to three conference championships as quarterbacks and wide receivers coach. The Rams went 32-4 and made the Division II playoffs three times.
Gordon’s first collegiate coaching job was at North Carolina Wesleyan as a graduate assistant and quarterbacks coach.
A native of Waynesboro, Va., Gordon was a four-year starting quarterback and three-time team captain at Shepherd from 1999-2002, earning all-conference honors. He graduated with career records in passing yards (7,236), completions (522), total offense (7,677) and touchdown passes (66).
He earned his bachelor’s degree (2003) and master’s degree from Shepherd (2013) and was elected to the Shepherd University Hall of Fame.
Gordon briefly played professional football as a quarterback for the Richmond Speed (Arena Football 2) and the Wintherthur Warriors, an American football team based in Switzerland.
He and his wife, Becca, have a daughter, Savanna, and a son, Noah.
Year-by-Year
Year Team Position
2023- USF Passing Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach
2019-22 Iowa State Passing Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2018 Iowa State Quarterbacks
2016-17 Iowa State Offensive Analyst
2016- Ferrum (VA) Offensive Coordinator (Hired, did not coach season)
2011-15 Shepherd (W.V.) Quarterbacks/Wide Receivers Coach
2008-10 Emory & Henry (VA) Offensive Coordinator
