TJ Woods officially took over as UNLV's new offensive line coach on June 25, 2021.
No stranger to the Mountain West, Woods came to Las Vegas after spending the previous two seasons at Utah State. His 17 years of collegiate coaching experience include two stints totaling six season with the Aggies as well as stops in both the Pac-12 Conference and Big Ten Conference.
"We are so excited to add a coach of the caliber of TJ to our staff,” said Rebel head coach Marcus Arroyo. “In addition to being familiar with, and having success in, our conference, TJ has coached both in the Big Ten and Pac-12. He has led some of the best rushing offenses in the nation multiple times in his career. He has a reputation for developing NFL linemen, with several now playing and starting, and earning large paychecks on Sundays. His résumé and reference list were extremely impressive. TJ develops his players on and off the field and is exactly what we were looking for in our O-line coach. I know he can’t wait to leave his imprint on that room."
As Utah State’s offensive line coach in 2019, Woods helped four offensive players earn All-Mountain West honors. The Aggies’ offense set school records in passes completed and attempted while its 3,628 passing yards were the second-most in USU history as the squad earned a spot in the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl.
Before returning to Logan, Woods spent the 2018 season as the offensive line coach at Western Kentucky. That move followed a three-year stint at Oregon State, where he coached four offensive linemen to All-Pac-12 Conference honors and saw two of his linemen, Sean Harlow (Atlanta Falcons 2017 fourth round) and Isaac Seumalo (Philadelphia Eagles 2016 third round) drafted into the NFL.
Prior to his time in Corvallis, Woods served as the offensive line coach at Wisconsin, where his position group helped block for Doak Walker Award winner and Heisman Trophy finalist running back Melvin Gordon. During the 2014 season, the Badger great rushed for 2,587 yards, second-most in a single season in FBS history, including a then-FBS single-game rushing record of 408 yards.
Behind Woods’ offensive line, Gordon and fellow running back Corey Clement set the NCAA record for rushing by two backs with 3,536 yards. That 2014 season also saw the Badger front set a school record for fewest sacks allowed with 13, as well as a Big Ten Conference record with 4,482 net rushing yards. In all, Woods mentored seven All-Big Ten players at Wisconsin, including four All-Americans, highlighted by Rob Havenstein, who was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Currently, seven of Woods’ former offensive line pupils are active on NFL rosters: Beau Benzschawel and Tyler Larsen (Washington Football Team), Blake Brandel (Minnesota Vikings), Michael Deiter (Miami Dolphins), Havenstein (Los Angeles Rams), Harlow (Atlanta Falcons) and Seumalo (Philadelphia Eagles).
A former player at Azusa Pacific (2001-02) as well as Iowa State and Citrus Junior College, where he earned NJCAA All-American honors in 1999, Woods got his coaching start as a graduate assistant at Azusa Pacific in 2003. After a two-year run as the school’s tight ends coach, he spent a season coaching the offensive line at Citrus before going to New Mexico for two seasons to serve as a graduate assistant on the offensive line.
A 2002 graduate from Azusa Pacific with a business degree, Woods continued to pursue his education and earned his master’s in physical education from Azusa Pacific in 2005.
