Joe Woodley enters his 17th year with the Vikings and begins his sixth year as head coach. Prior to being head coach, he was the offensive and defensive coordinator. Woodley has been instrumental in the Vikings’ success since the program’s inception in 2008. In 2013, Grand View finished 6-0 in the MSFA Midwest, 14-0 overall and won the NAIA National Football Championship.
During his first three years as head coach, Woodley led the team to an NAIA FCS semi-final finish in 2019, a quarterfinal finish in 2020, and a National Championship game finish in 2021. As a head coach, Woodley has amassed a 58-5 overall record while winning the Heart of America North Division Conference Championships all five years. Woodley has also yet to lose a regular season Heart of America game.
In the 2022 season, the Vikings garnered 21 all-conference accolades while earning multiple major postseason awards including Offensive Player of the Year, Player of the Year, and Head & Assistant Coach of the Year accolades.Â
Coach Woodley was named North Division Conference Head Coach of the Year in 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023. Woodley was mentioned in the ESPN's "Coached Who Will Define the Next Decade" of College Football, as the only NAIA level coach to receive the recognition in 2024.Â
As offensive coordinator, Woodley had a successful 2018 season: the Vikings were top 25 in the nation in points per game (34.8/24th), rushing yards per game (221.6/15th), and yards per game (424/18th).
Woodley was defensive coordinator from 2008 to 2017. During the program’s last nine seasons, the Viking defense has been among the top defenses in the country in points allowed: 2019 – 11.1 (1st), 2017 – 20.8 (12th), 2016 – 19.1 (9th), 2015 – 13.9 (1st), 2014 – 17.6 (6th), 2013 – 15.4 (2nd), 2012 – 16.1 (7th), 2011-16.2 (11th), 2010-14.7 (4th). The 2013 Football Scoop Coordinator of the Year and 2009 MSFA Midwest Assistant Coach of the Year has coached seven AFCA All-Americans six conference Players of the Year and more than 60 All-Conference selections. Woodley has done instructional and schematic videos for Championship Productions and has been published in AFCA Monthly.
Prior to GV, Woodley spent the 2006 and 2007 seasons as the defensive line and linebacker coach for Johnston High School under his brother, Brian, who is the head coach. The Dragons were 7-2 in 2007 – the best record in program history. Before Johnston, Woodley spent two seasons at St. Ambrose University where he coached the defensive backs and linebackers. During his two years at St. Ambrose, the Bees were 15-5, in the top ten in the nation defensively, and made a playoff appearance.
A Clive, Iowa, native, Woodley was both a First Team Elite All-State Linebacker and Central Iowa Metro League (CIML) Player of the Year for the Valley High School Tigers in 1998. He played college football for Iowa State University from 1999-2003. He was a team captain and played in three bowl games: the Insight Bowl, the Independence Bowl, and the Humanitarian Bowl.
Woodley’s recruiting areas include Central Iowa and Houston. He resides in Urbandale with his wife, Jen, and daughters, Anna, Elly, and Emma.
