Staff Directory

Shiel Wood

Title:
Defensive Coordinator / Inside Linebackers

Shiel Wood, a 2025 finalist for the prestigious Broyles Award, enters his second season as Texas Tech’s defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach after orchestrating the top defensive turnaround by any college football program this century.

Wood, known for his reputation of immediately improving defenses from previous stops at Troy, Tulane and Houston, put his stamp on the Red Raiders during his debut season in 2025, pushing the Red Raiders to their first Big 12 Conference title and College Football Playoff appearance. Texas Tech led the country with 32 takeaways en route to posting the largest year-by-year improvement for both scoring (-23.0) and total yards allowed per game (-203.2) by any FBS program since 2000.

Texas Tech ranked among the nation’s leaders defensively, giving up only 11.8 points per game en route to a school record 12 wins. Combined with a high-scoring offense, the Red Raiders rolled to the College Football Playoff with all 12 wins coming by at least 20 points. Texas Tech became only the fifth team in the Associated Press era (since 1936) to record 12 or more wins by 20-plus points in a season, joining the likes of Nebraska (1971), Florida State (2013), Alabama (2018) and Clemson (2018). Texas Tech’s eight Big 12 wins by at least 20 points set a new league record and marked only the sixth time in FBS history a team had won eight or more conference games by that margin.

The Red Raiders were not only the nation’s leader in takeaways during Wood’s first season but also in rushing defensive, giving up only 68.1 yards per game on the ground behind a dominant front seven. Texas Tech also ranked in the top 10 of the FBS for eight other statistical categories, including scoring defense (3rd), total defense (3rd), first downs defense (4th), fourth down conversion percentage (5th), team passing efficiency defense (6th), third down conversation percentage (7th), turnover margin (7th) and sacks per game (10th). Texas Tech joined Indiana as the only two schools to rank in the top five nationally for scoring defense, total defense, rushing defense and takeaways.

Texas Tech’s defensive rise earned Wood National Linebackers Coach of the Year honors from the website FootballScoop as well as a spot among the finalists for the Broyles Award, which recognizes the nation’s top assistant coach. Wood was one of five finalists for the prestigious award and the lone representative from the Big 12 Conference.

The national honors stacked up for the Red Raiders with four members of the defense earning All-America honors, including two unanimous first team selections in outside linebacker David Bailey and inside linebacker Jacob Rodriguez. The duo became only the second and third defensive players in school history to garner unanimous first team All-America accolades, while defensive tackles Lee Hunter and A.J. Holmes Jr. were both second team selections by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and Holmes by the Associated Press.

Bailey, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive Newcomer of the Year, joined with fellow outside linebacker Romello Height to become the first Big 12 duo to both record 10.0 or more sacks in the same season. Both turned into eventual NFL Draft picks with Bailey selected No. 2 overall by the New York Jets and Height going to the San Francisco 49ers in the third round. Bailey became the highest-drafted defensive player in school history and was the first defensive player taken off the board among the 2026 NFL Draft class.

Rodriguez, meanwhile, captivated the nation’s attention with Wood at his position coach, garnering not only All-America honors but by sweeping the vast majority of national defensive awards. Rodriguez was the recipient of the Chuck Bednarik Award, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Lombardi Award and the Butkus Award, to name a few, joining only former Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o as the only players in history to win all four awards in the same season. He also finished fifth overall in the Heisman Trophy voting, becoming only the third linebacker since 1995 to finish in the top five for the nation’s top honor.

Rodriguez became the first FBS player dating back to 2005 to record at least five forced fumbles, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries all in the same season, pairing with fellow linebackers Ben Roberts and John Curry to form one of the nation’s top trios. Roberts created six takeaways of his own during the 2025 season, including two during the Edward Jones Big 12 Championship where he was named the Most Outstanding Player.

Texas Tech recorded a school record with nine NFL Draft picks this past spring with hailing from Wood’s side of the ball. Rodriguez followed Bailey as the next Red Raider off the board, going to the Miami Dolphins in the second round, only a few picks before the Carolina Panthers selected Hunter. The Red Raiders have four defensive draftees in the first three rounds alone with Height included and then added to their total with defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard’s selection to the Detroit Lions in the sixth round and then safety Cole Wisniewski heading to the Philadelphia Eagles in the seventh.

Wood's defenses have ranked inside the top 35 for total defense in all five seasons since he was first named a co-defensive coordinator at Army in 2021. Since then, he has also made stops as the defensive coordinator at Troy in 2022, Tulane in 2023 and then Houston. He was also the defensive coordinator at Wofford, his alma mater, in 2017.

His defenses helped push Troy to a 12-win season and Sun Belt Conference title in 2022, while Tulane finished with 11 wins and an appearance in the American Championship in 2023. Troy ended the 2022 season ranked as high as No. 19 in the Associated Press poll, marking the first time in program history the Trojans had appeared in the final rankings. Army, meanwhile, was an impressive 9-4 overall during his lone season as co-defensive coordinator after a victory over Missouri in the Armed Forces Bowl.

Wood immediately improved a Houston defense that ranked 105th nationally for scoring (31.5) and 112th for total defense (423.9) in the year prior to his arrival, cutting those totals to 22.9 points and 324.8 yards per game in 2024. Houston ended the season ranked 25th nationally and second in the Big 12 for total defense as well as 28th for passing yards allowed after surrendering only 188.8 yards per game through the air, another drastic improvement from the 255.3 yards and 114th ranking prior to his arrival.

Opposing offenses have averaged less than 23.0 points per game against Wood’s defenses since his promotion to play-caller at Army in 2021. Tulane ranked 23rd in the FBS after allowing 20.5 points per game in 2023, while Troy was eighth at only 17.1 points per game in 2022 and Army was 33rd nationally at only 22.3 points a contest. Wood’s units at both Troy and Army ranked in the top 20 nationally for not only scoring defense but also total defense and turnovers forced as well.

Wood has built a reputation for immediately improving defenses, particularly through turnovers. Both his defenses at Troy and Tulane ranked in the top 10 nationally for takeaways with the Trojans finishing eighth in the FBS with 27 turnovers gained, while the Green Wave were third a year later with the same amount. His defenses are averaging 24.2 takeaways per season over the past five years as Houston created 19 turnovers in 2024, while Army had 16 during its 2021 campaign in addition to the 32 the Red Raiders created in 2025.

Wood has tutored 16 players over his career who have earned first team All-Conference honors, including five this past season at Texas Tech and then seven during the three seasons prior to his arrival in Lubbock. That list includes linebacker Carlton Martial, who was the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year under Wood’s direction at Troy in 2022. Martial, a finalist for the Burlsworth Award, snapped the NCAA FBS record for career tackles that season after ranking third in the FBS as a senior with 11.2 tackles per game. Following the season, he earned second team All-America accolades from FOX Sports and Action Network as well as third team honors from Phil Steele Magazine.

Martial’s success came after Wood mentored a pair of All-American linebackers at Army in Andre Carter and Jon Rhattigan. Carter earned third team All-America accolades in 2021 after finishing second in the FBS with 15.5 sacks and fifth with 18.5 tackles for loss. Rhattigan, meanwhile, earned second team All-America honors from USA Today and was a finalist for the Bednarik Award, the first in Army history.

Carter and Rhattigan both joined the NFL as undrafted free agents following their careers at Army as Carter is currently a member of the Washington Commanders, while Rhattigan won two Super Bowls early in his professional career as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. Wood added another former pupil to the professional ranks in 2024 as Troy edge rusher Javon Solomon was selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills.

Wood's tenure at Army began in 2020 as the inside linebackers coach for a Black Knights program that led the country at only 275.3 yards allowed a game. Army also ranked second nationally for scoring defense at only 14.8 points per game as well as red zone defense (.645 conversion rate) and passing yards allowed per game (160.8). The Black Knights, who finished 9-3 overall, were also among the nation’s best against the run, ranking 18th in the FBS after giving up only 114.6 yards per game on the ground against a schedule full of run-heavy offenses.

Wood has coached both linebackers and safeties during his career and has served as the special teams coordinator twice at both Georgia Tech (2018) and Georgia State (2019). He was part of bowl teams in both of those two stops as Georgia State played in the Arizona Bowl, matching its school record with seven wins in the process, while Georgia Tech was selected for the Quick Lane Bowl.

Wood began his coaching career on the opposite side of the ball, serving as the wide receivers coach at Wofford from 2007-10 before moving over to coach safeties from 2011-12. Wood spent a total of eight seasons as an assistant coach at Wofford, which culminated in him being named the Terriers’ defensive coordinator in 2017. In all, Wofford won four Southern Conference titles and advanced to the FCS playoffs seven times during that span.

As defensive coordinator, Wood directed a unit that led the SoCon in rushing defense (121.7 yards per game) and ranked second in the league and No. 26 in the FCS for total defense at only 326.7 yards per game. Wofford finished 10-3 that season, winning the outright SoCon title with a 7-1 league record before advancing to the FCS quarterfinals where the Terriers fell to eventual national champion North Dakota State.

Wood, a native of Spartanburg, South Carolina, played wide receiver at Wofford from 2001-05 and was the Terriers' leading receiver in 2020 for a team that won the SoCon Championship and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.

Wood graduated from Wofford in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in government. He and his wife, Bernadette, are parents to two daughters, Fay and Grace. Bernadette Wood was also a student-athlete at Wofford, competing in soccer.

SHIEL WOOD COACHING HISTORY
2025-present – Texas Tech Defensive Coordinator (Inside Linebackers)
2024 – Houston Defensive Coordinator
2023 – Tulane Defensive Coordinator (Linebackers)
2022 – Troy Defensive Coordinator (Safeties)
2021 – Army Co-Defensive Coordinator (Safeties)
2020 – Army Assistant Coach (Inside Linebackers)
2019 – Georgia State Special Teams Coordinator (Inside Linebackers)
2018 – Georgia Tech Assistant Coach (Safeties/Special Teams)
2017 – Wofford Defensive Coordinator (Safeties/Recruiting Coordinator)
2016 – Wofford Assistant Coach (Safeties/Recruiting Coordinator)
2011-12 – Wofford Assistant Coach (Safeties)
2007-10 – Wofford Assistant Coach (Wide Receivers)
2006 – Woodruff High School (S.C.) High School Assistant Coach

BOWL GAMES AS A COACH (6): 2025 Capital One Orange Bowl (Texas Tech): 2022 Cure Bowl (Troy); 2021 Armed Forces Bowl (Army); 2020 AutoZone Liberty Bowl (Army); 2019 Arizona Bowl (Georgia State); 2018 Quick Lane Bowl (Georgia Tech).

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS AS A COACH (6): 2025 Big 12 Conference (Texas Tech); 2022 Sun Belt (Troy); 2017 Southern Conference (Wofford); 2012 Southern Conference (Wofford); 2010 Southern Conference (Wofford); 2007 Southern Conference (Wofford).