Dordt Wins Different

When Dordt’s football team took the field against Northwestern College this fall, few could have predicted what would follow. Down 17–0 late in the second quarter, the Defenders had a stunning comeback to win 21–20—their first-ever victory over their longtime rival.

The game caught national attention, as ESPN highlighted Dordt in its weekly college football recap: “Dordt entered Week 5 as NAIA’s No. 1 team, per SP+, and the Defenders rallied to score a big road win over the 2022 national champs.”

For Head Football Coach Joel Penner, the story runs deeper than the final score.

“Obviously every game matters, but I understand the nature of rivalries,” he says. “We’ve worked to block out external narratives and focus on the things that lead to great football. The last three years we’ve statistically played well enough to win but committed too many unforced errors. The difference now—and the growth I see—is that we’ve put all our attention on the things we can control and let all the external narratives and pressures roll off.”

From the outside, the win looked like a triumph of talent and grit. From the inside, Penner saw a different perspective.

“The Defender Way gives us a framework for doing college football in a way that is uniquely and intentionally Christian,” Penner says. “We don’t have to choose between winning and character building. We call our version of college football ‘Industry Standard.’ That means we want to set the bar in the things that matter most. When you pursue this high standard, you will play better football. We have the highest GPA among all NAIA football programs, and we are currently undefeated on the football field. Our players are living proof that you can set the bar high on and off the field.”

Penner brings that same vision to the classroom. As part of Dordt’s Master of Education in Sport Leadership program, he teaches a graduate course called “CEO of Your Own Program,” which focuses on culture building, external relations, and program management.

“I have a deep conviction that while school athletics have a transactional nature to them, we should primarily be focused on transformation,” he says. “Christian coaches should be thinking more about how to compete in a God-honoring way rather than appending Christian disciplines to our already busy schedules. Sports offer countless teachable moments; we need to let those moments create transformational conversations with our athletes.”

He also challenges students to develop “a game plan for transformational coaching” that includes a compelling vision, transformative principles, and essential practices. “Practically speaking, coaches don’t have time to add much to their plate,” Penner says. “We read Essentialism by Greg McKeown to learn how to prioritize time, resources, and energy. Coaches are middle managers, so multi-directional leadership skills are developed.”

That transformational mindset was on display—literally—in the Northwestern game.

“One of our team captains challenged his teammates on our summer leadership trip in Wyoming that our performance on the football field should inform fans watching us more about who God is,” Penner recalls. “He went on to say that dominating on the football field is worship. Down six points with 93 yards to go and three minutes remaining, our players embodied that idea completely. I even heard our players on the sideline yelling to their teammates, ‘Remember, this is what worship looks like!’”

“As we marched methodically down the field and eventually scored and won the game, it was so evident to me that our players were competing from a different place than most,” he adds. “That’s why in my post-game remarks I said, ‘Dordt wins different.’ It doesn’t always work out that worship in competition leads to winning; that’s not the point. But I believe that competitors perform better when your purpose is greater than yourself.”

When asked what his favorite moments as a coach are, Penner points to testimonies. “When I hear from alumni that something they learned or experienced during their time in our program is benefiting them as a husband, parent, or leader, it feels like it was all worth it.”

And as for what’s next? “The Industry Standard journey doesn’t have a finish line,” Penner says. “We have two goals left on our rock wall—a conference championship and a national championship. But those aren’t our ultimate indicators of success. What matters most is continuing to pursue excellence, faithfulness, and purpose in everything we do.”

About Dordt University

As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by U.S. News and World Report, the Wall Street Journal, Times Higher Education, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review.