Joe Reasons was a graduate of Central Kitsap High School where he was a three-year letterman and earned all-league and the Inspirational Award in football. Reasons played college football at Olympic College for a year and earned a scholarship to Western Washington University. At Western he was a three-year letter winner in football and rugby, leading the rugby team in scoring as a senior.

He graduated with a degree in education in 1964 and began his coaching career at West Bremerton High School under the legendary Chuck Semancik. After two years, he moved to the Clover Park School District, teaching at Hudtloff Junior High School and Lochburn Junior High School from 1964 to 1976. Reasons also coached wrestling and led his teams to a league championship all 10 years.

In 1976, Reasons became head coach at Clover Park High School, where his teams won the state title twice and the South Puget Sound League championship five times.

Reasons joined his wife, Jo, at Curtis High School where he was head coach for eight years. Reasons teams compiled a record of 327-88-1, winning 149 matches before his first dual meet loss. He coached 16 state finalists and seven state champions with an additional 47 state place-winners. Most of his coaching years at Clover Park and Curtis were solidly backed by assistant coach Doug Cowan.

Reasons received many honors during his career, including being named the Washington Coach of the Year in 1977 and 1978 and regional coach three times.

He coached the Washington State freestyle team to a national championship in 1979 and led the Washington State Cultural Exchange Team to Germany in 1980.

Reasons was inducted into the Washington State Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame in 2004.

However great his wrestling record, Coach Reasons most significant accomplishment is the life impact he has had on wrestlers. His wrestlers were coached to develop an unbreakable attitude and spirit. His mantra was: "Never die, never give in, never give up!"

His wrestlers were expected to give their very best to every endeavor, whether on or off the mat. On the day of his induction into the Washington State Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame, one of his former wrestlers, serving in the military in Iraq, called Reasons to tell him how important wrestling had been when facing difficult times throughout his life.

After retirement from Curtis in 2000, Reasons has stayed involved by substitute teaching and coaching in the North Mason School District, where his 2007 wrestling team won its first league championship in 17 years.

His wife Jo is a presenter for United Way of Kitsap County. The Reasons reside in their home of 41 years in rural Port Orchard, have grown twin daughters, Jodi and Janet, and currently three grandchildren, with two more due to arrive in the summer of 2013.