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Colgate University Athletics

Football

Josh Ison

  • Title
    Special Teams Coordinator/Inside Linebackers
    Recruits: Ohio, TX (Houston/San Antonio), Kansas, Missouri, Michigan, and Louisiana
  • Email
    jison@colgate.edu
  • Phone
    315-228-7617
  • X
    Ison50
  • Alma Mater
    Fairmont State '05
Coaching Experience
  • Assistant Coach, Inside Linebackers & Special Teams Coordinator, Colgate University (2021-pr.)
  • Assistant Coach, Outside Linebackers, Colgate University (2021)
  • Assistant Coach, Defensive Line & Special Teams Coordinator, Colgate University (2018-2021)
  • Assistant Head Coach, Special Teams Coordinator, & Head Strength Coach, Tiffin University (2011-2018)
  • Special Teams Assistant Coach, University of Michigan (2009-2011)
  • Defensive Backs Quality Control Coach, University of Michigan (2010)
  • Tight Ends Quality Control Coach, University of Michigan (2009)
  • Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach, University of Michigan (2008-2009) 
  • Linebackers Coach, Fairmont State University (2003-2008)


Education

  • M.A., West Virginia University (2007)
  • B.A., Fairmont State University (2005)

At Colgate
Josh Ison was named to the Colgate Football coaching staff as a defensive line coach and special teams coordinator in July 2018. He spent the 2021 season as the outside linebackers coach before transitioning to his current role as inside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator.  

The 2023 season was remarkably successful for Ison, landing two inside linebackers on the All-Patriot League Second-Team. Christian Sweeney earned his first appearance on an all-league squad while Tyler Flick repeated for the second-straight year in 2023. 

Colgate also earned three postseason accolades on special teams last season. Shelby Pruett repeated as All-Patriot League First-Team punter, Max Hurleman earned a bid as a special teams player, non-specialist, and Jacob Jaworski was voted to the All-League second team as a placekicker.

In 2018, Ison’s first season with the program, Colgate put together 10 wins for just the fourth time in program history en route to its 10th Patriot League championship. The Raiders jumped out to a perfect 9-0 start that year, allowing just 29 points during the win streak and tying the NCAA FCS record with five shutouts in one season. Over a seven-game stretch, Colgate allowed 3, 0, 0, 3, 0, 0 and 0 points.
 
Still in 2018, the Raiders knocked off James Madison 23-20 on a game-ending field goal in the first home playoff contest since 2003. Colgate then fell to eventual national champion North Dakota State in the quarterfinal round.
 
Ison’s defenders led the nation in scoring defense at 9.3, total defense at 237.7 and pass efficiency defense with an 88.77 rating. This even though the Raiders finished their season against arguably the toughest three-game stretch in program history in Army, James Madison and North Dakota State.
 
On special teams, Colgate placekicker Chris Puzzi earned All-Patriot League First Team honors after his school record 15 made field goals. The 15th was a 38-yard field goal that beat James Madison in the NCAA playoffs. Puzzi finished 15-of-17 for the season to set another Colgate season record at 88.2 percent.

Puzzi went on to finish his career first in field goal percentage at .789 and tied for third in field goals made with 30 out of 38 attempts.
 
The Raiders in 2018 also led the Patriot League and ranked 10th nationally in team punt returns at 15.4. Primary returner Abu Daramy-Swaray earned All-Patriot League First Team at that position. Daramy-Swaray would have repeated as Patriot League punt return champion but finished one return shy of qualifying.

In his first two seasons with the Raiders, Ison coached Nick Wheeler to All-America First Team and Third Team and helped Colgate to its 10th Patriot League championship. 

Through his first four seasons at the helm of Colgate’s special teams units, Ison placed four returners on the All-League first team. Abu Daramy-Swaray earned the accolade in 2018 and 2019 in addition to his Third-Team AP All-American selection, while William Gruber picked up the honors in 2020 and 2021.


Before Colgate
Ison arrived from Tiffin, where he spent seven seasons and served last year as assistant head coach, special teams coordinator and head strength coach. Ison also oversaw the linebacker position for the Dragons.
 
Tiffin improved considerably during Ison's time at the Division II Ohio program. The Dragons were 0-11 in Ison's first season of 2011. By 2016, they had climbed to 8-3 overall before following up with a 6-5 campaign in 2017.
 
Ison previously coached at Michigan as a special teams assistant coach for two seasons. He was a quality control coach for both defensive backs in 2010 and tight ends in 2009. He spent the 2008 campaign as a Wolverines assistant strength and conditioning coach.
 
Ison also served five seasons as the linebackers coach at his alma mater, Division II Fairmont State in West Virginia. He coached three All-American linebackers in Ed Smith (2003), Matt Vance (2005) and Vince Black (2007). The Fairmont State defense during his tenure was at the top of nearly every statistical category, including 2004 and 2007 when the defense was tops in the WVIAC and ranked inside the top 20 nationally.

Playing Career
A standout linebacker for Fairmont State, Ison was team captain during the 2002 season and was part of the 2000 Falcons team that won the conference championship. Ison was a four-year letterman at Fairmont State, earning 2002 honors on the Don Hansen Football Gazette All American Team. He attended training camp with the Cincinnati Bengals as a linebacker (2003), and then went on to play in the Arena leagues with the Colorado Crush as a fullback/linebacker (2004) and the Manchester Wolves linebacker/fullback (2004).