University of Sioux Falls Athletics

Joe Ford, who has 16 years of coaching experience at the NCAA DII and FCS levels, is in his third season as the Defensive Coordinator for the University of Sioux Falls Football Program. Ford was named to the post on Feb. 3, 2020.

A native of Brandon, S.D., Ford has coached at FCS level South Dakota, and NCAA DII programs at Southwest Minnesota State, St. Cloud State and for two years at USF. He is a defensive coordinator for the third time (seven total seasons) after previous stints in the role at North Carolina-Pembroke in 2016-17 as well as with Minot State from 2007-12.
 
Ford is Defensive Coordinator and linebackers coach at USF.
 
Ford earned a Bachelor’s degree in health from South Dakota State in 2003 and a Master’s degree in teaching physical education from St. Cloud State in 2007. He has also served as a lecturer in the Health and Human Performance Department at North Carolina-Pembroke. 

At USF, he has been part of one of the nation’s top defensive units. The Cougars are 15-7 during his two-year tenure, which includes an 8-4 mark in 2019. This past year, he was part of the staff that directed the program to its fourth NCAA DII playoff appearance.
 
At a national level in 2019, USF ranked fourth in DII with a 260.7 yards per game allowed and 14^th in scoring defense at 17.3 points allowed per game. USF also sat fifth in the final DII rankings in passing efficiency defense at 94.15. With 19 interceptions, USF ranked 10th in DII, was 12^th in passing yards allowed (161.8 ypg) finished 16th against the rush (98.8 yards, 2.98 yards per carry) in DII. 
 
Ford was also linebackers coach and Special Teams Coordinator in 2018 when USF was 7-4.
 
Prior to coming to USF, he was at UNC-Pembroke where he was part of a staff that directed the team to a 10-2 record in 2016 and No. 13 ranking in final AFCA poll. In 2016, UNC-Pembroke set a school record for wins with 10, including the program’s first DII playoff victory (24-21 over Valdosta State).
 
As an assistant coach for South Dakota (2013-14), Ford mentored Tyler Starr, who earned Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors after accumulating 71 tackles (15 tackles for loss) and nine sacks as a senior in 2013. Starr was later selected in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.
 
Ford was the defensive coordinator in five of his six seasons at Minot State (2007-12). With Ford at the reigns of the defense in 2009, the Beavers registered a Dakota Athletic Conference-leading 17 interceptions and made their first playoff appearance since 2002. The following season, Minot State ranked 16th, nationally in NAIA, in scoring defense (18.4 points/game), while also posting the nation’s sixth-best sacks per game (3.0) average.

In his first four years at Minot State, the Beavers won 26 games before the school transitioned to NCAA Division II and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference in time for the 2011 campaign. Under his watch, seven defensive standouts earned all-conference honors, including three during his final season.

He began his coaching career in 2004 at SMSU as a graduate assistant, later doing post-graduate work at St. Cloud State in 2006 as the linebackers coach. He has also served several stints as a counselor for various college football camps across the country.

He and his wife, Stephanie, have three children, Brynn, Patterson and Sullivan.