Joe Sturdivant, 41, leaves NCAA D-II program to become MVC's head coach | High school football

WATSONVILLE - Monte Vista Christian School named well-traveled and accomplished Joe Sturdivant, 41, as its new head football coach and physical education teacher on Tuesday afternoon.

Sturdivant, a former two-time, all-conference safety at NCAA Division I Southern Methodist University, joins the Mustangs after serving as defensive backs coach at D-II Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota, last season.

Sturdivant replaces his close friend, Spencer Ferrari-Wood, who led MVC for three seasons.

"I'm super excited," Sturdivant said. "He (Ferrari-Wood) shared that the community is outstanding. And he believes the community is excited about football, and that the support is there. What I see is the support from the top, the athletics director, coach (Dusty) Mones, and the head of school, and the people that were involved in the hiring process. They care about the school and care about their athletics program and what athletics can mean to a young student-athlete and their development as a human being. That's means a lot to me.

"The football side, I believe, takes care of itself if you do things the right way, and you develop kids year-round. The football piece will happen. There's a group of kids there returning that he's super excited about, and I'm excited to take over. It's got a shot to be a fun place to coach and for players to develop."

MVC conducted a national search to fill its coaching vacancy and had more than 40 applicants.

Mones said Sturdivant stood out on multiples fronts. He not only had a ton of experience, but his faith and spirituality aligned with the school's mission.

"We think he's a perfect fit for us," Mones said. "Obviously, he has an amazing football pedigree, but he also a mission fit. Now, we see if we can take it to the next level."

Sturdivant was the defensive coordinator at IMG Academy in 2013-2014, where he helped develop dozens of Division I and NFL players.

He served as head coach at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School in Rabun Gap, Georgia, for two seasons, the second of which ended with a state runner-up finish in the 2021 North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association (NCISAA) Division I playoffs.

He coached Providence Christian Academy in Lilburn, Georgia, to a 2-8 mark in 2022, before returning to his alma mater, Parkview, to be the head coach for two seasons. The Panthers went 7-4 in 2023 and 3-7 in '24.

"When I first heard the news, I was like, ‘Oh, thank god, at least we'll learn how to tackle," said junior quarterback Evan Vessey. "I'm excited about the new coach and what he brings to the table."

Sturdivant met Ferrari-Wood while coaching in Germany roughly a decade ago. They joined forces for two years, after Ferrari-Wood asked Sturdivant to be his defensive coordinator and assistant head coach on the Belgian National Team.

"Honestly, he's one of the best coaches I've ever been around," Ferrari-Wood said. "He's kinda a schematic genius, offense, defense, special teams, the whole deal. I think we struck gold here."

The two have remained in close contact since.

After landing a new job in Pennsylvania last month, Ferrari-Wood suggested to Sturdivant that he look into applying for the MVC opening.

Initially, Sturdivant had no intention of leaving Spearfish, South Dakota - he's an outdoorsman, who loves hiking and fishing - but when he got off the phone with Ferrari-Wood, he researched the school and surrounding area on the internet.

"I was like, ‘Oh, my goodness. Wow!' " he said. "Then I start watching some YouTube videos and see Santa Cruz and Monterey, the Watsonville area, the Santa Cruz Mountains … I kinda went down the wormhole, and think, ‘Yeah, I'd be pretty crazy to not want to go there.' "

Sturdivant was impressed with MVC's stunning campus, football field, and training facilities.

He'll meet the team for the first time when he arrives on campus for spring ball May 10-17. His family, wife, Virginia, and two children, son Bear, 9, and daughter, Avery, 5, will come out in June.

Bear has PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) and PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections), and MVC's proximity to Stanford Hospital, a world-class health care facility, was also a draw for the Sturdivants.

Sturdivant starred at Parkview High (2000-02) in Lilburn, Georgia, and helped the Panthers go 45-0 and win three Division 5-A state championships from 2000-02. He lettered all four years at Souther Methodist University (2003-06) and earned all-Conference USA honors his final two seasons.

Following a stint playing arena football with AF2's Peoria Pirates, he played in multiple countries in Europe before competing for Team USA at the World Championships in Austria in 2011.

Sturdivant, who also enjoys reading and playing chess, likens coaching football to chess, given the numerous and ever-changing strategies.

Sturdivant said MVC's offense will attempt to follow the blueprint of Sean McVay's L.A. Rams, simple, balanced, full of misdirection, and featuring as much running or passing as as opposing defenses will give.

"I promise you this, if there's one thing we will be good at, that will be defense," Sturdivant said. "That is my specialty. Some things you can't control, right? The way the ball bounces, and some times the other team has better players. OK, but we will have a body on a body, and we're gonna be really good at tackling, because it's not optional."

Junior linebacker Ben Hall was in math class with teammate Reece Walker when they saw MVC's hiring announcement on Instagram.

"We were like, ‘Is this real?' " Hall said. "This is crazy."

Hall listened to the school's podcast, "Mind of The Mustang," introducing Sturdivant, and was elated.

"When I first heard, I was kinda in shock," Hall said. "It was awesome to see we found someone this good."

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This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 2:28 AM.