Sharpe was previously the head basketball athletic trainer at the University of Connecticut during a nine-year stint with the Huskies that included its 1999 NCAA Championship season. He worked as part of the United States Olympic Committee medical staff at the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center in 2002, and traveled to Thailand in 2007 for The University World Games.  He has worked with the USA Basketball men's junior national team in 2002 and 2008, and men's senior national team in 2009.  He also participated in the NBA's Basketball Without Borders camp held in Johanneburg, South Africa in 2007.

Joe and his wife, Jennifer, have two kids, Joseph and Jayme.