Assistant Coach Shiel Wood

SHIEL WOOD

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR SAFETIES

@shielWood

Shiel Wood begins his first season as Troy’s defensive coordinator in 2022. Wood, who will also coach Troy’s safeties, joins the Troy staff following two years at Army West Point, where he served as the co-defensive coordinator in 2021.

In addition to his co-defensive coordinator duties with the Black Knights, Wood coached the Army inside linebackers in 2020 before transitioning to coaching the safeties in 2021.

Wood helped guide Army to a 9-4 record in 2021, capped by a victory over Missouri in the Armed Forces Bowl. Army ranked 17th nationally, holding opponents to just 328.4 yards per game, 36th allowing just 22.3 points per game and 17th allowing only 117.2 yards per game on the ground. The Black Knights were also one of the fewest penalized teams in the country, finishing third with just 3.85 penalties per game.

Army’s defense specialized in getting off the field and limited opposing offenses to just 24:28 time of possession each game, tied for the lowest in the country.

Additionally, linebacker Andre Carter, who earned Second Team All-America honors, finished the season with 15.5 sacks tying him for the nation’s lead with Alabama’s Will Anderson heading into the CFP Semifinals.

In his first year at West Point, Wood helped lead Army to a 9-3 record and finish as the top defense in the country, allowing just 275 total yards per game. Additionally, the linebackers chipped in with the run-stopping unit that finished 18th in the country, allowing only 114.6 yards per game on the ground against a schedule full of run-heavy offenses. The Black Knights also ranked in the country’s top five in scoring defense (2nd - 14.83 ppg), red zone defense (2nd - .645 scoring pct.) and passing yards allowed (2nd - 160.8 ypg).

Under Wood’s guidance Army boasted one of the best interior linebacking groups in the nation, led by Second-Team All-American Jon Rhattigan.

Wood, a former assistant coach at Georgia Tech and defensive coordinator at Wofford, was Georgia State’s inside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator during the 2019 season.

During the 2019 season, Georgia State matched its school record for victories. The Panthers posted the third-best improvement nationally with a five-game increase in wins over the previous season.

Before his stint at Georgia State, Wood coached Georgia Tech’s safeties and assisted with special teams, helping the Yellow Jackets to a bowl berth.

As Wofford’s defensive coordinator in 2017, Wood directed a unit that led the Southern Conference in rushing defense (121.7 ypg) while ranking second in the league and No. 26 in the FCS in total defense, allowing just 326.7 yards-per-game. The defensive effort helped lead Wofford to a 10-3 overall record, the outright SoCon championship (7-1 in league play) and an FCS quarterfinal appearance, where the Terriers fell to eventual national champion North Dakota State.

Wood spent a total of eight seasons as an assistant coach at Wofford, coaching the Terriers’ wide receivers (2007-10) and safeties (2011-12, 2016-17) and serving as recruiting coordinator (2016-17) in addition to his one season as defensive coordinator.

In his first two years on the defensive side of the ball (2011-12), the Terriers ranked 17th and ninth in the nation in total defense, respectively. As the Terriers’ wide receivers coach (2007- 10), he coached two student-athletes who went on to play in the National Football League, including Carolina Panthers wideout Brenton Bersin.

In all, Wofford won four SoCon titles and advanced to the FCS playoffs seven times in Wood’s eight seasons on the Terriers’ staff.

Wood started coaching in 2006 at Woodruff (S.C.) High School, where he helped lead the Wolverines to a 9-3 record, regional championship and state playoff berth.

A native of Spartanburg, S.C., Wood played wide receiver at Wofford from 200105 and was the leading receiver on the Terriers’ 2003 squad that won the SoCon championship and advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA semifinals.

He graduated from Wofford in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in government. His wife, Bernadette, was a soccer student-athlete at Wofford. The couple has two daughters, Fay and Grace.

WOOD FILE

YEAR AT TROY: AGE: HOMETOWN: WIFE: CHILDREN: HIGH SCHOOL: ALMA MATER:

PLAYING CAREER

2001-05 1st (2022) 40 (Aug. 26, 1982) Spartanburg, S.C. Bernadette Fay, Grace Spartanburg HS (‘01) Wofford (‘07) - B.S. Government

Wofford

COACHING CAREER

Troy (Defensive Coordinator / Safeties)

Army Co-Defensive Coordinator / Safeties Inside Linebackers Georgia State (Inside Linebackers / Special Teams) Georgia Tech (Safeties) Wofford Defensive Coordinator / Safeties Secondary Safeties Wide Receivers / Special Teams Wide Receivers Woodruff (S.C.) HS (Assistant Coach)

2022

2020-21 2021 2020 2019 2018 2007-17 2017 2016 2011-12 2010 2007-09 2006

BOWL HISTORY

Season Bowl

Team

2021 Armed Forces Army 2020 Liberty Army

Opponent

Missouri

Result

W, 24-22 West Virginia L, 21-24

2019 Arizona 2018 Quick Lane Georgia State Wyoming Georgia Tech Minnesota L, 17-38 L, 10-34