Shiel Wood

Shiel Wood, who helped lead Wofford to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs as the Terriers’ defensive coordinator last season, joined Georgia Tech’s football coaching staff on Jan. 12, 2018.

Wood coaches the Yellow Jackets’ safeties and assists with special teams.

As Wofford’s defensive coordinator, Wood directed a unit that ranked second in the Southern Conference and 26th in NCAA Division I FCS in total defense in 2017, allowing just 326.7 yards per game. The Terriers’ rushing defense led the SoCon (121.7 ypg), as they held six of their 13 opponents to less than 100 yards on the ground. 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 it 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), in addition to his one season as defensive coordinator. In his first two seasons on the defensive side of the ball (2011-12), which coincided with Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Nate Woody’s final two campaigns at Wofford, 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 that went on to play in the National Football League, including current 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.

He got his start in coaching in 2006 at Woodruff (S.C.) H.S., where he helped lead the Wolverines to a 9-3 record, regional championship and state playoff berth.

Wood played wide receiver at Wofford from 2001-05 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 a daughter, Fay.