WKU Football Head Coach Tyson Helton announced the hiring of Joe Bernardi as the program's Offensive Line Coach on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. The 2025 season will be his second on The Hill.
In 2024, during his first season with the program, Bernardi helped the Hilltoppers to an 8-6 record and berths in the Conference USA Championship Game and the Boca Raton Bowl. He coached four offensive linemen that finished with All-Conference USA recognition. Earning All-CUSA Second Team Offense honors were right tackle Marshall Jackson and left guard Quantavious Leslie, while left tackle Travon Taylor and center Evan Wibberley were voted All-CUSA Honorable Mention.
Bernardi's 2024 offensive line helped protect CUSA Offensive Player of the Year Caden Veltkamp, and the Hilltopper offense finished first in the league and 25th nationally in passing.
Bernardi made the move to WKU in 2024 after stops at Troy and Auburn the two seasons prior.
He served as Troy's Offensive Line Coach during the 2023 season and as an Offensive Analyst for most of the 2022 season at Auburn, before taking over as the program's Tight Ends Coach for the final four games that season.
Prior to this time in Auburn, Bernardi served as the Athletics Director and Offensive Line Coach for Immanuel Schools in Reedley, California.
Bernardi spent three seasons at San José State (2017-19) as the Offensive Line Coach and Run Game Coordinator. In his first season with the Spartans, tackle Nate Velichko was a National Football Foundation (NFF) Campbell Trophy semifinalist and was inducted into the NFF's Hampshire Honor Society.
Returning to his alma mater in 2016, Bernardi served as a Tight Ends Coach at Fresno State.
At Oregon (2013-15), Bernardi served as a Graduate Assistant, working with both the offensive line and tight ends. He coached four first-team All-Pac-12 offensive linemen while the Ducks would go on to win 33 games during his tenure, including competing in the first College Football National Championship game against Ohio State in 2015.
Between hits tenures at Oregon and San José State, five of Bernardi's offensive linemen signed contacts with NFL teams: Jack Snyder (San José State), Jeremiah Kolone (San José State), Chris Gonzalez (San José State), Hroniss Grasu (Oregon), and Jake Fisher (Oregon).
Bernardi began his coaching career at the University of Tennessee (2011-12) as an Offensive Line Quality Control Coach, assisting in all phases of coaching and recruiting the offensive line and tight ends. In his second season with the Volunteers, Tennessee led the SEC and was fifth nationally for fewest quarterback sacks allowed per game (0.67).
A member of the Fresno State football team from 2006 until 2010, Bernardi started 32 games on the Bulldogs' offensive line and competed in four bowl games. Bernardi was named to the Rimington Award Watch List for the best center in college football twice during his playing career. In his senior year, he received the Paul Schechter Award for Courage given annually to a Fresno State student-athlete who overcame a physical challenge to become a champion.
Bernardi graduated from Fresno State in 2010 with a degree in communications. He and his wife, Lindsey, were married in June 2017 and have a daughter, Quinn, and a son, John.
