The 2012-13 season marks the second for Joe Silvers as a member of UND's track and field coaching staff. Silvers coaches the men's and women's multi and jumping events.

Silvers helped guide UND's track and field program to new heights in his first season, mentoring four Great West Conference individual champions: Taylor Brett (indoor and outdoor pole vault), Matthew Harris (outdoor pole vault) and Mikaela Hirst (outdoor triple jump).

Those individual titles were among the 13 GWC All-Conference performances by Silvers' student-athletes in 2011-12.

Silvers came to UND after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant coach at Idaho State, where he worked primarily with ISU's multi-event student-athletes. One of those student-athletes, Justin Critser, qualified for the 2010 USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championship.

Before beginning his coaching career in 2009, Silvers was a pole vaulter and decathlete at Idaho State from 2004-09.

A two-time letterwinner at ISU, Silvers was a member of the Bengals' Big Sky Conference championship team in 2006 and was the 2009 Idaho Cup pole vault champion.

Silvers graduated from ISU in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in sports management and a minor in coaching. He received his master's degree in athletic administration from ISU in 2010 and is considering pursuing a degree in sport psychology.

Silvers received his USA Track & Field (USATF) Level 1 coaching certificate in 2010. In July 2012, Silvers attended the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Academy and attained Jumping Event Specialist Certification.