Joe Napoli begins his 11th year with the GCU track and field program, serving as the Lions' throws coach.
Since Georgian Court University’s inaugural women’s track and field season of 2009, the throws program established by Coach Napoli has proven to be highly effective.
Since 2011, GCU throwers have dominated the NCAA DII East Region with numerous student-athletes earning All-East Region honors in all four throwing events. Coach Napoli has been honored multiple times by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). In 2012 and 2016 he was named the NCAA DII East Region Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year and in 2017 he had the distinction of being honored twice as he was named NCAA DII East Region Assistant Coach of the Year for both the Men's and Women's programs.
With over 35 years of throws experience, Coach Napoli’s philosophy is to educate the student-athlete and build athleticism through core training, body awareness, technique and strength conditioning. Coach Napoli has the technical expertise in all of the throwing events and a true passion to see his student-athletes excel. Joe is also the president of the “World’s Longest Throws Club-NJ” and since 2004 numerous WLTC-NJ athletes have qualified for the USATF Junior Olympic National Championships with 25 achieving All-American honors. In 2007 Coach Napoli crowned his first High School National Champion (National Scholastic) Indoors in the Shot Put and has had numerous NJ State champions in all throwing events.
Joe is currently training some of the best and brightest young high school throwers in the country. 2017 was a record breaking year for his throws club as his top athlete, Alyssa Wilson, shattered the all-time girls high school national shot put record both indoors (57'-1.25") and outdoors (57’ 5.5"). Alyssa also went on to break the all-time NJ State HS record in the discus (182'-0") and the hammer (191'-2"). Most recently Wilson won New Balance high school national titles both indoors and outdoors in the shot put and also outdoors in the discus setting a new meet record. To cap off a stellar high school career and while representing team USA in the 2017 USATF Junior Pan American Games (U20) in Peru she extended her national record in the shot put to 58’-1” being crowned champion and the distinction of being ranked #1 in the world (U20) in that event.
While at Kent State University Coach Napoli was recruited and coached by 1972 Olympic hammer thrower, Al Schoterman, and graduated in 1986 with a B.S. degree in physical education. During his years at KSU, Joe was a 4X Mid-American Conference shot put/discus champion and also KSU school and MAC Conference record-holder in the discus. In his junior and senior years, he was named Co-Captain of the Golden Flashes track and field team. Napoli’s knowledge, passion, and versatility in all of the throwing events made him a force to be reckoned with.
Joe and his wife Ellen have three children: Brittany, Samantha and Priscilla. He proudly works for Colavita USA as the Operations Manager since 1986.
