Twitter/X: @CoachWood88
Wood enters his fourth year in Lexington, starting as a Specialists Coach and Video Coordinator before earning the Special Team Coordinator title prior to the 2023 campaign. In 2024, Wood added Director of Player Personnel duties. Among those Wood has coached in his short time at VMI are All-Americans Jack Culbreath (Punter) and Robert Soderholm (Long Snapper). In 2024, Wood coached Austin Fletcher to All-SoCon Freshman honors, after losing his starting long snapper just one game into the season.
Greg Wood began his second year at VMI in 2023, earning a promotion to Special Teams Coordinator under new Head Coach Danny Rocco. He spent his first year as the Specialists Coach/Video Coordinator, serving as Punter, Kicker, and Long Snapper Coach, and assisting with punt return and field goal blocking schemes. The Keydets saw incredible success in special teams in 2022, led by 1st Team All-American and 1st Team All-SoCon Long Snapper Robert Soderholm and 1st Team All-SoCon Punter Jack Culbreath. The team finished the year ranking 6th nationally (1st in the SoCon) in Blocked Punts and 14th nationally (2nd in the SoCon) in Blocked Kicks.
He arrived at the Institute after serving one year as Special Teams Quality Control Analyst at the University of Minnesota in 2021, helping the Golden Gophers to a 9-4 record and a win over West Virginia in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. At Minnesota, Wood played a large role in helping the team improve Net Punting from 11th in the Big Ten (102nd nationally) in 2020, to 8th in the Big Ten (41st nationally) in 2021. He worked directly with Punter Mark Crawford–Minnesota’s first Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week since 2013–who improved his Yards Per Punt by 4 yards and the team’s Net Punting Average by 5 yards from 2020 to 2021, and Kicker Matthew Trickett, who ranked 6th in the Big Ten (40th nationally) in Field Goals Per Game. He also worked with Kickoff Specialist Dragan Kesich, who improved the team’s Yards Per Kickoff by 6.5 yards from 2020 to 2021.
In 2020, Wood served as a Special Teams Quality Control Analyst at the University of Akron, where he also spent a short stint as Interim Co-Special Teams Coordinator in the offseason.
Wood, a former 1st Team All-Conference Punter at Valparaiso, got his start in college coaching at Carroll University, serving as the Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers Coach in 2019. He developed the CCIW’s third-ranked punter (based on average) in the Punter’s first year, improved punt coverage ranking from eighth in the previous year to top five in 2020 among the CCIW, and coached the CCIW’s third-ranked kickoff unit (based on kickoff average). He also served as the football program’s Social Media/Marketing Specialist.
Providing private specialists coaching, volunteering for a local high school team, and assisting with Kornblue Kicking Camp all while working a full-time job in the business sector, Wood never left the game of football even after his playing days were cut short by injury. As a Punter at Valparaiso, Wood was selected Unanimous 1st Team All-Pioneer Football League in 2012 and 2010, and 2nd Team in 2011. His honors also include being selected as a Preseason All-American in 2011, earning All-Pioneer Football League Special Teams Player of the Week twice, placing on the All-Pioneer Football League Academic Team in 2010, and being selected as Team MVP in 2010. Wood earned an invite to the Chicago Bears Minicamp in 2013.
Originally from Libertyville, Illinois, Wood recently married his longtime girlfriend, Linsey.
Coach Wachenheim on Wood upon his hire in 2022:
"Greg Wood is a very detailed kicking specialist who will continue the dramatic improvement our specialists have shown. Greg has an outstanding work ethic and has a systematic approach of instruction."
2024 - Special Teams/Player Personnel
2023 - Special Teams Coordinator
2022 - Specialists/Video Coordinator
