Joe Bernard enters his 11th season at UAlbany in the fall of 2024. He currently serves as the Great Danes' Special Teams Coordinator.
The 2023 football team went to new heights with Bernard leading the special teams unit, with the team making its first-ever NCAA FCS Semifinal appearance and winning the program’s first-ever CAA title. In the return game, UAlbany finished fifth in the CAA in punting return yards and sixth in kickoff return yards, On field goals, UAlbany kickers went 13-18 for a .722 percentage and 51-53 on PATs for a .962 percentage. Punting, UAlbany finished seventh in the CAA with a an average net punt of 36.0 yards.
In the shortened 2021 spring season, with Bernard serving as the team's Defensive Coordinator, the UAlbany defense finished fourth in the CAA in total defense. That mark included a pass defense that finished second in the conference, allowing just 144.2 yards in the air per game, and a rushing defense that finished fifth allowing 128.2 yards per game. Under Bernard, freshman defensive lineman Jared Verse enjoyed a breakout year, being named CAA Defensive Rookie of the Year and a STATS Perform FCS Jerry Rice Award Finalist.
UAlbany ranked fourth in the CAA in scoring defense in 2019, giving up 25.5 points per game, and fourth in total defense, allowing 365.8 yards per game. The Great Danes were plus-six in turnovers, recovering 17 fumbles and intercepting 11 passes. The defense ranked second in third-down efficiency, allowing opposing teams to convert just 31.1 percent of third-down opportunities. Led by All-America selection Eli Mencer, who set a single-season program record with 14.5 sacks, UAlbany ranked third in the CAA with 31 sacks on the season. Finally, UAlbany ranked fourth in the CAA red zone defense.
UAlbany allowed 30.6 points and 371.0 yards per game in 2018. The Great Danes ranked fifth in the CAA on third-down defense, allowing teams to convert on at a rate of 35.6 percent. In the red zone, UAlbany ranked sixth on defense.
Prior to becoming co-defensive coordinator and special-teams coordinator in 2018, he had served as the offensive coordinator and running backs coach since 2014. He added assistant head coach to his title in 2015.
UAlbany averaged 17.4 points and 273.5 yards per game in 2017, and ranked third in the CAA in possession, averaging 31:34 per game. The Great Danes averaged a 68.6 percent conversion rate in the red zone.
In 2016, Bernard coached All-American running back Elijah Ibitokun-Hanks to 1,401 rushing yards, first in the CAA and fourth in all of FCS. The Great Danes ranked fourth in the CAA with 24.9 points per game, including wins over New Hampshire, Buffalo and St. Francis to compile a 7-4 record.
In his first year at UAlbany, Bernard oversaw running back Omar Osbourne who earned second-team All-CAA honors and finished his career ranked third all-time in the program archives with 3,229 career rushing yards.
Bernard came to UAlbany with 11 years of experience as a defensive coordinator at the FCS level, as well as hefty high school and college head coaching experience. Bernard began his coaching career at Nazareth Area High School in Pennsylvania where he was on staff from 1985-1996, helping lead the squad to four league championships and two district championships. As the head coach (1990-95), he compiled a 37-28-1 record.
From there, Bernard joined Fairfield University’s coaching staff from 1996 to 2002. Serving as the defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator, the Stags captured the 1998 MAAC Championship. Bernard was elevated to the position of head coach for the 2001 and 2002 seasons.
In 2003, Bernard joined Gattuso’s staff at Duquesne as the defensive and special teams coordinator. During his seven-year tenure, the Dukes won a Mid-Major National Championship, had the top ranked defense in the FCS, and won five straight MAAC titles (2003-07). Bernard met up with Gattuso again as a member of the University of Pittsburgh staff from 2009-11. As the strength assistant, Bernard helped the Panthers to an 18-8 record, two bowl victories, and a 2010 Big East title.
Bernard came to UAlbany after three seasons in the high school ranks. The head coach at Stroudsburg High School, Bernard led his team to a 19-5 record across the 2011 and 2012 seasons, as well as back-to-back conference championships. In 2013, he was the offensive coordinator for Carolina Forest High School in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
