Joe Wilson grew up in Opelika and graduated from Clift High School, which later became Opelika High School. In high school Wilson played football, basketball and baseball.

Wilson received his under graduate degree in physical education from Auburn University and his Masters degree from the University of Alabama. He received his administrative certification from Valdosta State College in Georgia.

Wilson landed his first coaching and teaching job at Opelika Junior High. He was an assistant football, head basketball and baseball coach.

After one year in Opelika he moved to T.R. Miller High School in Brewton as the head basketball coach. Wilson was a member of the National Guard and was called into active service while in Brewton.

He spent a year at Fort Benning before taking the head coaching position at Turner County High School in Georgia. He remained at Turner County for two seasons with a record of 13-7 in 1962-63.

In 1964, Coach Wilson moved to Tuscaloosa to assume the duties as the head football coach for the Tuscaloosa County Wildcats. His record coaching the Wildcats was 19-14-3.

He left Tuscaloosa, moving back to Turner County for another nine seasons from 1969-1977. His record at Turner High School was 88-27-1 in eleven seasons over two tenures at the school. His 1971 team finished 12-1, losing 31-21 to Carrollton in the State Championship game. The 1976 team won the Class 1A state title with a 14-0 victory over Commerce.

Wilson accepted the head coach and athletic director position at Smiths Station High School in 1978. Over the next three seasons his teams went 18-12, including 9-1 in 1980. He spent the 1981 season at Peach County High School in Georgia as the football and basketball coach. His football team finished with a 5-5 record.

He returned to Opelika High School as head football coach and athletic director in 1982. In eight years at the helm, his teams went 55-30 with three playoff appearances and two area titles. Wilson would retire from coaching following the 1989 season at his alma mater.

Wilson may have left the football field but not education. Coach Wilson became the assistant principal at Opelika Middle School for four years. He took a job selling sporting goods for a year before returning to his first love of coaching. He assumed the football coaching duties at Lee Scott Academy in 1994 for two seasons where he coached football, basketball, and golf.

His overall record in Alabama is 111-75-3 while his Georgia record stands at 93-32-1. Coach Wilsons overall football record for both states is 204-107-4. He was named as the 1994 AISA Coach of the Year by the Alabama Sports Writers Association.