Texas Tech has ended its defensive coordinator search and has hired Houston’s Shiel Wood, who operated the same position for the Cougars.
The hire comes after Tech head coach Joey McGuire opted to make a change, moving on from Tim DeRuyter after three seasons together in Lubbock.
The 42-year old Wood joins the Red Raiders’ staff after one season in Houston, after following head coach Willie Fritz from Tulane. Wood is seasoned among the collegiate ranks and also spent time as a high school coach early in his career.
What should Red Raider fans know about the newest hire to the staff?
Shiel Wood
Social Media: @ShielWood on X
Position: Defensive Coordinator
Position in 2024: Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers at Houston
Bio: “Shiel Wood joined University of Houston Football as its Defensive Coordinator in January 2024. He also assists in coaching linebackers. The 2024 season will be his first with the Cougars. Wood comes to Houston after one season as Tulane’s Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach, a post he assumed during the spring. The 2024 season will be Wood’s 15th coaching Division I football and 11th on the defensive side of the ball. In all four seasons as Defensive Coordinator or Co-Defensive Coordinator, his units have ranked inside the Top 25 nationally in rushing yards allowed – including tops in The American in 2023 and first in the Southern Conference in 2017 – and Top 35 for total defense – including second in The American in 2022 and 2023 as well as second in the Southern Conference in 2017. In two of the last three seasons, Wood’s defenses have ranked inside the Top 20 nationally in total defense, scoring defense and turnovers forced. In each of the last two seasons, his units ranked either first or second in their respective leagues (The American/Sun Belt) in total defense, scoring defense and turnovers forced. In his four seasons as Defensive Coordinator or Co-Defensive Coordinator, Wood has helped Wofford (2017), Army West Point (2021), Troy (2022) and Tulane (2023) to a combined 42-12 record including three bowl games, two conference titles and one FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals run. Between the 2022-23 seasons, he tutored 17 All-Conference honorees including seven First-Team members and the 2022 Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year in linebacker Carlton Martial." - Houston Athletics
Career Timeline
Hometown: Spartanburg, S.C.
Alma Mater: Wofford
2006: Assistant Coach, Woodruff High School
2007-10: Wide Receivers Coach, Wofford
2011-12: Safeties Coach, Wofford
2016: Safeties Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, Wofford
2017: Defensive Coordinator/Safeties/Recruiting Coordinator, Wofford
2018: Safeties Coach/Special Teams, Georgia Tech
2019: Special Teams Coordinator/Inside Linebackers, Georgia State
2020: Inside Linebackers, Army
2021: Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties Coach, Army
2022: Defensive Coordinator/Safeties, Troy
2023: Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers, Tulane
2024: Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers, Houston
******************************************************************************************
Join the conversation with other Red Raiders on the Inside The Double T forum.
Subscribe today to get the most in-depth Texas Tech sports and recruiting coverage.
Follow us on X: @RedRaiderSports
Like and follow us on Instagram @rrs_rivals & like us on Facebook.
******************************************************************************************
Prosper Energy Management is a mineral management company based in Dallas/Fort Worth with a Red Raider as a founding member. With over 35 years of experience in oil and gas management, Prosper provides full start-to-finish management, as well as tailored service, with the mission of serving their clients above all else. Prosper specializes in petroleum engineering, giving their clients that competitive edge when tackling the complexities of leasing, land & title, division orders, accounting, forecasting, etc
