For the second time in as many years, the Drake Bulldogs will have a new head coach. Joe Woodley stepped down as head coach to take a position with Rutgers. Woodley is the second FCS head coach to leave for Rutgers this offseason, following South Dakota‘s Travis Johansen.
Woodley spent six years with the NAIA’s Grand View Vikings, leading them to a 72-5 overall record and going a perfect 29-0 in conference games. Grand View won the 2024 NAIA Championship, which led to his hiring at Drake in December 2024. Woodley took over the head coaching role from Todd Stepsis, who led the Bulldogs to back-to-back FCS playoff appearances in 2023 and 2024, before leaving for Northern Iowa.
Woodley’s tenure at Drake began with a 41-7 win over NCAA Division II Upper Iowa, followed by back-to-back road losses to ranked teams in South Dakota State and South Dakota. The Bulldogs would rip off a five-game PFL winning streak and then lost at home to St. Thomas 20-13. Drake used strong defensive performances in the final two games to clinch the PFL title and a third straight trip to the FCS playoffs. The Bulldogs faced South Dakota for the second time in a few months, losing 38-17 in the first round.
Woodley went 8-4 overall and 7-1 in the PFL in his one season at Drake. For his career, he is 80-9 overall and 36-1 in conference games. Drake did not announce an interim head coach as the school will conduct a national search for a new head coach.
Photo Credit to Drake University Athletics
