Joel Gordon - Football Coach - Iowa State University Athletics

Joel Gordon

Title:
Passing Game Coordinator
Email:
jgordon@iastate.edu
Phone:
515-294-6721

Joel Gordon is in his seventh season with the Iowa State football program and his fifth directing the Cyclone quarterbacks, adding the title as passing game coordinator in 2019.

Gordon has witnessed incredible improvement during his time in Ames. The Cyclones have qualified for five-straight bowl games, 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.

Gordon has helped the Cyclone offense thrive. Since 2019, ISU has produced three of the most prolific offenses in the history of Cyclone football. Iowa State broke the school record for total offense (444.3) and had the third-best scoring offense (32.2) in school history in 2019 and followed it up with the second-best scoring offense (32.9) and third-best total offense (436.3) totals in Cyclone history in 2020.

In 2021, the Cyclones recorded the fourth-best scoring average (31.3) and the fifth-best total offense (424.5), 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 pct. clip to help the Cyclones earn their school-record fifth-straight bowl appearance.

The 2020 season was historic in many ways. Iowa State 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 (#6) and postseason (#9).

Gordon 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.

An All-Big 12 First Team quarterback in 2020 and 2021, Purdy was 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 school history: passing yards (12,170), total offense (13,347), completions (993), touchdown passes (81), touchdowns responsible (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, 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).

Purdy 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).

Behind Purdy’s excellence in 2019, the Cyclones broke team school records in total offense (444.3), touchdowns (53), points (418) and yards per play (6.45).

Gordon was an offensive analyst with the Cyclone staff from 2016-17. ISU averaged 421.6 yards of total offense in 2016, the seventh-best clip in the ISU record book.

Gordon was hired as the offensive coordinator at Division III Ferrum College (Va.) in January of 2016, but left four months later when Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell asked him to assist with the Cyclone 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.

From 2008-10, Gordon was the offensive coordinator at Emory & Henry, 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). He is a member of 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.

Coaching Experience
2019- Iowa State – Passing Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2018 Iowa State – Quarterbacks
2016-17 Iowa State - Offensive Analyst
2016- Ferrum (VA) – Offensive Coordinator
2011-15 Shepherd (W.V.) – Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers
2008-10 Emory & Henry (VA) – Offensive Coordinator
2005-07 Shepherd (W.V.) – Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers
2003-04 North Carolina Wesleyan – Quarterbacks, Graduate Assistant

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