The Record
Coaching Legacy
More than four decades of teams, seasons, championships, players, and milestones.
Career at a Glance
115–45–2
Junior College Head Coaching Record
5
Western States Football League Championships
16
Seasons as Glendale Head Coach
2
National Championships as Head Coach
1988 · 2005
7–4
Junior College Bowl Record
2006
NJCAA Hall of Fame
From Player to Coach
The Coaching Journey
A career built one team, one season, and one group of players at a time.
1973–1977
The Playing Years
Learning the Game
Before Joe Kersting became Coach Kersting, he was a defensive back.
He played at Northwest Missouri State in 1973 and 1974 before transferring to Northern Arizona University, where he played for the Lumberjacks during the 1976 and 1977 seasons.
Northern Arizona would become an important part of his football life. He would return to the university several times during his coaching career.
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Joe Kersting — Northern Arizona / Playing Years
To source: authentic playing-era photograph. 1978–1980
The Beginning
From Player to Coach
Kersting began coaching in 1978 as an assistant at Cascia Hall Preparatory School in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
A year later, he returned to Northern Arizona as a graduate assistant.
The transition from playing the game to teaching it had begun.
1978
Cascia Hall Preparatory School
Assistant Coach
1979–1980
Northern Arizona University
Graduate Assistant
1981–1986
Building Experience
Glendale, Northern Arizona & Arizona
In 1981, Kersting joined the football staff at Glendale Community College as defensive backs coach.
After two seasons, he was promoted to defensive coordinator.
He returned to Northern Arizona in 1984 as defensive backs coach before spending the 1986 season at the University of Arizona as a volunteer graduate assistant.
These years established the foundation for the opportunity that would define the next chapter of his career.
1981–1982
Glendale Community College
Defensive Backs
1983
Glendale Community College
Defensive Coordinator
1984–1985
Northern Arizona University
Defensive Backs
1986
University of Arizona
Volunteer Graduate Assistant
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Joe Kersting — Early Coaching Years
To source: early assistant-coaching photograph. 1987
The Opportunity
Taking Over at Glendale
Joe Kersting returned to Glendale Community College in 1987 — this time as head football coach.
His first team won only three games.
But something was beginning to change.
Years later, Kersting recalled that the players were buying into the culture the staff was building.
The transformation happened remarkably quickly.
One season later, Glendale was the best junior college football team in the country.
An Undefeated Season
1988
National Champions
In his second season as head coach, Kersting led Glendale through an undefeated campaign and to the program’s first national football championship.
10–0
Final Record
No. 1
Ranked in the Nation
What had been a struggling program only a short time earlier had become a national champion.
In later reflections on his years at Glendale, Kersting called leading that first championship team one of the most satisfying memories of his career.
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1988 Glendale Gauchos Team
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1988 National Championship
More Than One Season
Building a Program
The 1988 championship wasn’t the end of Glendale’s rise.
It was the beginning of sustained success.
Under Kersting, the Gauchos became a nationally respected junior college football program known for consistency, physical football, player development, and winning.
His Glendale teams accumulated conference championships, postseason appearances, national rankings, and opportunities for players to continue their careers at four-year universities.
Glendale Community College would ultimately win national championships in:
1988 · 2000 · 2005
Joe was part of all three championship eras at Glendale.
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Coach Kersting — Glendale Sideline
1997
Back to Flagstaff
Northern Arizona
After his first tenure as Glendale’s head coach, Kersting returned once again to Northern Arizona University in 1997.
He coached defensive backs and coordinated special teams under head coach Steve Axman.
1997
Northern Arizona University
Defensive Backs / Special Teams Coordinator
2000
Back at Glendale
Another Championship Season
Kersting returned to Glendale as offensive coordinator for the 2000 season.
That year, the Gauchos captured another NJCAA National Championship.
It was the program’s second national title and another chapter in the championship tradition Kersting had helped establish at Glendale.
2000
Glendale Community College
NJCAA National Champions
2001–2006
The Second Run
Back at the Helm
Kersting returned to the head coaching position at Glendale for a second tenure beginning in 2001.
The program continued competing at the national level.
And in 2005, everything came together again.
Perfect Again
2005
National Champions
Seventeen years after Glendale’s first national title under Kersting, the Gauchos completed another perfect season.
11–0
Final Record
NJCAA
National Championship
It was another undefeated championship team under Coach Kersting and one of the defining seasons of his career.
The season also brought Kersting national recognition.
2005 National Coach of the Year
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2005 Glendale Gauchos Team
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Coach Kersting — 2005 Championship
Awards & Recognition
Honors and Milestones
Recognition earned across sixteen seasons as a junior college head coach.
3
Glendale National Championship Teams
1988 · 2000 · 2005
13
Postseason Bowl Appearances
During his years coaching at Glendale.
11
Region Coach of the Year Honors
14
Nationally Ranked Seasons
During his Glendale coaching years.
2005
National Coach of the Year
2006
NJCAA Hall of Fame
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Awards & Trophies
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Newspaper Clippings
Player Development
From Glendale to the Next Level
Junior college football is a bridge, and Kersting’s Glendale program moved players across it season after season.
Gauchos coached by Kersting earned All-American recognition, transferred to four-year universities on scholarship, and in several cases reached professional football.
Among them was defensive back Phillippi Sparks, a member of the 1988 national championship team, who continued to Arizona State University and played a decade in the NFL with the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys.
This section will continue to be expanded as All-American honors, transfer destinations, and professional careers are documented from program records.
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Glendale Players — Team & Signing Photographs
A Career Honored
NJCAA Hall of Fame
2006
In 2006, Joe Kersting was inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame, recognizing a career that helped establish Glendale Community College as one of junior college football’s nationally recognized programs.
His 1988 national championship team was also inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame.
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NJCAA Hall of Fame / Joe Kersting
The Next Chapters
Still Coaching
Leaving Glendale did not mean leaving football.
Kersting continued coaching at the high school and college levels, bringing decades of experience to new programs and another generation of players.
2010–2011
High School Football
Deer Valley High School
Head Football Coach
In 2011, Deer Valley finished 10–2 and reached the state quarterfinals.
2014–2016
College Football
Arizona Christian University
Defensive Coordinator
Kersting joined the young Arizona Christian football program and served on its defensive staff during the program’s formative years.
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Later Coaching Career
To source: photograph from the later coaching years. 2019
High School Football
Prescott High School
Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks Coach
2021
High School Football
Sandra Day O'Connor High School
Assistant Head Coach / Special Teams Coordinator
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Building a Championship Football Team
Sharing the System
Building a Championship Football Team
Kersting also put his coaching philosophy into print.
His book, Building a Championship Football Team, explores the organization, preparation, philosophy, and systems behind developing a successful football program.
The Story Behind the Record
Behind every season was a philosophy about people, responsibility, and what the game could teach.
About Joe →