• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Ankeny Fanatic

Your Ankeny Sports Resource

  • Home
  • About
    • Support Us
  • News
    • Podcast
  • Hawks
    • Boys’ Soccer
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Soccer
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Baseball
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Softball
      • Roster
      • Schedule
  • Jaguars
    • Girls’ Soccer
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Baseball
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Softball
      • Roster
      • Schedule
You are here: Home / Top Sports Stories / Football / Rhoads leaves Ohio State, lands job as defensive coordinator at Gulf Shores High

Rhoads leaves Ohio State, lands job as defensive coordinator at Gulf Shores High

February 4, 2022 by Dan Holm

Paul Rhoads

Ankeny native Paul Rhoads has landed a new coaching gig.

The former Iowa State head football coach has been named the defensive coordinator at Gulf Shores High School in Alabama. His hiring was approved by the Gulf Shores City Board of Education on Thursday night.

Rhoads replaces Brian VanGorder as the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator. Both Rhoads and VanGorder are former defensive coordinators at Auburn.

VanGorder left after one year at Gulf Shores to become the head coach at American Heritage-Delray (Fla.) High.

“I’m excited for the opportunity that our players will have to play and learn from someone with Paul’s experience,” Gulf Shores head coach Mark Hudspeth told AL.com. “He will also be a great resource for our staff.

“Thank you to superintendent Matt Akin and athletic director Kevin Tubbs for their vision to give Gulf Shores students the very best on and off the field.”

Hudspeth, a college head coach for 15 seasons, was hired a year ago in an effort to raise the level of the Gulf Shores program, which will drop from Class 6A to Class 5A (Region 1) this year. Former South Alabama assistant Kenny Edenfield is the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator.

Now Hudspeth has hired Rhoads, who brings 33 years of coaching experience to the staff. He spent the 2021 season as a defensive analyst for Ohio State, helping the Buckeyes to a Rose Bowl victory over Utah.

Rhoads was the defensive coordinator at Auburn in 2008. He then became the head coach at Iowa State in 2009, where he guided the Cyclones to a 32-55 record and three bowl games in seven seasons.

After leaving Ames, Rhoads made coaching stops at Arkansas, UCLA and Arizona before joining coach Ryan Day’s staff at Ohio State a year ago.

Gulf Shores posted a 6-4 record in Hudspeth’s first season. The Dolphins allowed an average of 17.6 points in 10 games.

Filed Under: Football, Top Sports Stories Tagged With: Paul Rhoads

Primary Sidebar

Support Ankeny Fanatic

Recent Posts

  • Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Cal Wahlberg, Ankeny boys’ soccer
  • ‘It was the perfect way to end our careers’: Ankeny star goes out in style with father
  • Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 307
  • ‘We’re incredibly proud of her’: Peterson earns 8th-place finish at state tourney
  • Jaguars toss back-to-back no-hitters in doubleheader sweep over Lincoln girls

Find Us on Facebook

Ankeny Fanatic

Archives

  • June 2025
  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017

Categories

  • Hawks
    • Fall
      • Boys’ Cross Country
      • Boys’ Golf
      • Football
      • Girls’ Cross Country
      • Girls’ Swimming
      • Volleyball
    • Spring
      • Boys’ Soccer
      • Boys’ Tennis
      • Boys’ Track
      • Girls’ Golf
      • Girls’ Soccer
      • Girls’ Tennis
      • Girls’ Track
    • Summer
      • Baseball
      • Softball
        • Roster
    • Winter
      • Boys’ Basketball
      • Boys’ Bowling
      • Boys’ Swimming
      • Girls’ Basketball
      • Girls’ Bowling
      • Boys’ Wrestling
  • Jaguars
    • Fall
      • Boys’ Cross Country
      • Boys’ Golf
      • Football
      • Girls’ Cross Country
      • Girls’ Swimming
      • Volleyball
    • Spring
      • Boys’ Soccer
      • Boys’ Tennis
      • Boys’ Track
      • Girls’ Golf
      • Girls’ Soccer
      • Girls’ Tennis
      • Girls’ Track
    • Summer
      • Baseball
      • Softball
    • Winter
      • Boys’ Basketball
      • Girls’ Basketball
      • Wrestling
  • Top Sports Stories
    • Football
    • Volleyball
  • Baseball
  • Softball

© 2025 Ankeny Fanatic. All rights reserved.