Sparky Woods, Head Football Coach

Sparky Woods enters his fourth season as head coach of the VMI football program, and has begun to institute sweeping change throughout the program.

Already having switched to a new defensive alignment prior to the 2008 season, Woods has now chosen to implement a new offensive system. Gone is the spread option, which had led the FCS in rushing twice and had paced the Big South in that category for four consecutive years. In its place is a more balanced system, which utilizes the pass more frequently.

No stranger to building successful programs, Woods brings a wealth of football coaching experience at the highest level to the Keydets.  His outlook and approach to the game mesh perfectly with the Institute's mission of producing outstanding individuals in society.

Woods became the 30th head football coach in the Institute's 117-year history on February 12, 2008, bringing 10 years of head coaching experience at both the FBS (I-A) level and FCS (I-AA) level, including four years at South Carolina and five seasons at Appalachian State.

Woods is a 1976 graduate of Carson-Newman and began his coaching career at Tennessee later that year. In 1977, he moved to Kansas before serving one year as defensive backs coach at North Alabama in 1978. From 1979-82 he coached at Iowa State, handling the receivers, before joining Appalachian State in 1983 as offensive coordinator, quarterbacks, and running backs coach under Mack Brown. One year later, Woods was named head coach at Appalachian State.

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