Joe Silvers was recently promoted to the associate head coach for track and field. He is in his seventh year with the Bengals and originally joined the Idaho State track and field program as an assistant coach in the summer of 2018. Silvers comes to the Bengals from the University of North Dakota, where he served as the assistant coach for jumps, combined events, and pole vault. In all, he coached Fighting Hawks men and women to 7 conference championships, 15 school records, and 96 entries in UND’s All Time Top 10 lists.

The 2023-2024 season saw significant changes in both the ISU and Big Sky record books. Leading the way for the Bengals was Brielle Davis who set both the indoor and outdoor school records in the pole vault with marks of 13-07.75 (4.16m) and 13-11.00 (4.24m) respectively. Brielle’s outdoor mark is also a Big Sky Conference Championship record and earned her the conference title. In all the jumpers closed out the year with 4 new entries in ISU’s Top 10 and 5 Big Sky All-Conference performances.
Kapri Sylvester added her name to the ISU’s indoor Top-10 list with a mark of 5-08.75 (1.75m). Sylvester also earned All-Conference honors in both the indoor and outdoor with a pair of 2^nd place finishes in the women’s high jump. On the men’s side Ethan Garrett also came away with a 2^nd place finish at the Big Sky Indoor championships and All-Conference honors.
The lady vaulter’s had a historic year under Silvers tutelage. Highlighted by Brielle’s record setting performances, the program saw three women over the 13-foot barrier. Lindsey Jones added her name to ISU’s Outdoor Top-10 list with a mark of 13-00.25 (3.97m). While Junior Ellie Stockham cleared a season’s best 13-00.25 (3.97m) to round out the trio of ladies. The women’s vault squad ranked 1^st in the Big Sky Conference and 19^th nationally in the USTFCCCA Event Squad rankings.

The 2022-2023 season marks the fifth for Joe Silvers as a member of ISU’s track and field coaching staff. The season saw Silvers student-athletes notch five new entries into ISU’s All-Time Top 10 lists, claim All-Conference honors and Conference Titles, and qualified two individuals to the NCAA National West Preliminary round.
In the high jump, Owen Mitchell earned All-Conference honors when he finished third at the indoor conference championship. His indoor personal best of 6-10.75 (2.10m) put him ninth on ISU’s indoor Top 10. Outdoors Mitchell defended his conference title in the men’s high jump becoming a back-to-back Conference Champion in the event. Under Silvers guidance, Owen capped off his ISU career with his third consecutive appearance at the NCAA National West Preliminary round.
Ekhardt Van Der Watt claimed his first Big Sky Conference title as a Bengal in the men’s pole vault at the outdoor championships. His championship winning mark of 16-10.25 (5.14m) ranks Van Der Watt ninth in ISU history. That same mark also qualified Van Der Watt for the NCAA National West Preliminary Round.
Sophomore Ellie Stockham added her name to ISU’s history books in both the indoor and outdoor women’s pole vault claiming the fifth 13-00.25 (3.97m) and fourth 13-00.75 (3.98m) spots respectively. Freshman Brielle Davis also added her name to ISU’s pole vault history earning the eighth spot with a mark of 12-10.75 (3.93m).

In 2021-2022 Joe Silvers’ student-athletes continued to challenge the best in the Big Sky. This past season was one for the record books. Eight new entries were added to ISU’s All-Time Top 10 performance lists, including Treyshon Malone’s school record of 26-03.75 (8.02m) in the outdoor long jump.
Treyshon Malone broke his own school record and became the first Bengal to eclipse the 26-foot barrier at the Big Sky Outdoor Championships. Malone’s record-breaking mark not only won him the conference title but also set a Big Sky Championship meet record and placed him third All-Time in Big Sky history.  He also qualified for the final round of the NCAA National Championships where he finished 14^th earning 2nd Team All-American honors. In his final season with the Bengals Malone also compete at the USA National Championships representing ISU and finishing 17^th.
Other notable performances on the year came from a trio of All-Conference performances. Adam Elorrieta earned All-Conference honors finishing 2^nd in the high jump at the Big Sky indoor Championships with a mark of 6-11.00 (2.11m).
Outdoors Owen Mitchell won the Big Sky title in the men’s high jump with his performance of 6-11.00 (2.11m). His mark also qualified him for his second consecutive trip to the NCAA National West Preliminary round.
Senior Tyler Vallenzuela vaulted his way to a 2^nd place finish at the Big Sky Outdoor Championships. His All-Conference performance of 16-05.50 (5.02m) was a personal best.

In 2020-2021 The record books were once again rewritten by Joe Silvers’ student-athletes with six new entries on ISU’s All-Time Top 10 lists and saw a record setting performance of 25-11.00 (7.90m) by Treyshon Malone in the men’s outdoor long jump.
Louise Lallement garnered All-Conference honors when she finished 2^nd in the women’s pole vault at the outdoor conference championships with a vault of 12-09.00 (3.89m).
A pair of men’s high jumpers added their names to ISU’s record books. Adam Elorrieta claimed the 4^th spot on ISU’s All-Time Top 10 list in the men’s high jump with a mark of 6-11.75 (2.13m). Owen Mitchell jumped 6-11.5 (2.12m) to claim the 5^th spot on ISU’s Top 10 lists. Both Elorrieta and Mitchell performances qualified them for the NCAA National West Preliminary round.
Kapri Sylvester aslo added her name to ISU’s Top 10 list in the women’s high jump. Sylvester cleared a new personal best of 5-08.00 (1.73m) claiming the 7^th spot in ISU outdoor high jump history.

In 2019-2020, Silver’s student-athletes added four new entries into ISU’s all-time top 10 lists. Among those marks was a new school record in the men’s long jump set by senior Treyshon Malone. Silvers also oversaw two Big Sky indoor conference champions with Malone in the long jump and Brook Anger in the women’s pole vault. 

Malone set the school record in the long jump with a mark of 26-00.25 (7.93m) capturing the Big Sky conference title in the process. Malone’s mark ranked him #2 in Big Sky history and earned him a trip to the NCAA Indoor National meet as the 9th best jumper in the NCAA. The national meet was canceled due to COVID-19 and Malone was awarded USTFCCCA All-America honors for his long jump performance. 

Anger captured her first conference title in the pole vault with a new personal best 13-00.75 (3.98m). Her performance places her 4th on ISU’s indoor top-10 list. Senior Seth Jarus put his name into the ISU record books earning the number 4 spot in the long jump with a mark of 24-03.75 (7.41m) and the 8th spot in the triple jump with 48-4-50 (14.74m). 

The 2018-19 season, his first back with the Bengals, Silvers coached the likes of Treyshon Malone and Jessica Swannack to Big Sky All-Conference performances, school records, a trip to the NCAA Championships West Preliminary round, and a conference title. Additionally, Silvers oversaw six performances that cracked ISU’s all-time top 10.

Jessica Swannack put her mark in the record books winning the Big Sky Indoor Conference Championship in the women’s pole vault. Her championship winning mark of 13-06.50 (4.13m) set a new indoor school record in the pole vault. That same mark also ranks Swannack 4th all-time in Big Sky history.  Swannack capped off her sophomore campaign with a trip to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships west preliminary round and an outdoor personal best of 13-04.25 (4.07m) 

Treyshon Malone etched his own mark in history setting an indoor school record in the long jump with a mark of 25-01.75 (7.66m). Malone garnered Big Sky All-Conference honors in the long jump at the outdoor conference championship with a 3rd place finish and a mark of 24-09.75 (7.56m). Malone concluded his year as a NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships west preliminary qualifier in the long jump with a leap of 25-04.50 (7.73m). That same mark ranks Malone 2nd all-time in ISU history. 

Silvers coached a number of talented individuals during his time with the Fighting Hawks, most recently helping vaulter Kyley Foster achieve her second trip to the NCAA West Regional. Foster set the North Dakota school indoor and outdoor pole vault records and is a four-time All-Conference athlete and the 2018 Big Sky Outdoor Conference Champion. Her outdoor record of 13-09.25 (4.20m) is also the third best mark in Big Sky history.

Silvers helped guide Nolan Hovland to his first NCAA West Regional in 2018. Hovland qualified for the meet in the men’s high jump after claiming the 2018 Big Sky Outdoor Conference Championship with a height of 7-00.25 (2.14m). Hovland is a four-time All-Conference athlete and was the 2015 Indoor Conference Champion as a freshman with a mark of 6-11.75 (2.13m).

Early in his career at North Dakota Silvers coached long and triple jumper D’Mante Farley. Farley was a standout performer for the Fighting Hawks earning All-Conference honors in the triple jump. He also qualified for the 2013 NCAA West Regional and USA Jr National Track and Field Championships with a mark of 49-01.50 (14.97m). Farley placed 8th at the USA Jr National meet earning USATF Jr All-American honors.

Collectively Silvers athletes were a force for the North Dakota Fighting Hawks setting school records in the pole vault, combined events, long jump, and triple jump.

Prior to North Dakota Joe Silvers was a member of the Idaho State Track and Field team. Silvers competed for the Bengals from 2005 to 2009. After completing his bachelor degree Silvers coached at ISU for two years while completing his masters in Athletic Administration.
Silvers has continued to further his education earning both his Jumping Event Specialist (2012) and Strength and Conditioning Specialist (2016) certifications through the United State Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association’s Track and Field Academy. Silvers also received his USA Track & Field Level 1 coaching certification in 2010.

He has a passion for sharing his knowledge and been published in the USTFCCCA’s official publication, Techniques, contributing an article entitled “Mental Training for Track and Field.”