TJ Woods serves as the offensive line coach on The Hill, a position he assumed in February 2018.
In his first year on the staff, Woods inherited an offensive line group that did not return a single starter at their respective position and just two starters - at any position - from the 2017 group. It was also a position group that did not have a single senior in the room, one of only three teams in the nation without a senior offensive lineman. Under Woods' direction, the offensive line turned into one of the team's strengths by season's end.
Year-to-year, the offensive line's improvement was one of the nation's best as sacks per game and total sacks were down while the yards per carry average and rushing offense was dramatically up.
Yards per Carry: up 1.72, 5th-best nationally
Rush yards per game: up 75.98, 8th-best nationally
Total Sacks: down 16; 10th-best nationally
Sacks per Game: down 1.02, 12th-best nationally
Woods came to The Hill following a three-year stint at Oregon State where he coached four offensive linemen to Pac-12 All-Conference honors and saw two of his linemen, Sean Harlow and Isaac Seumalo, get their names called in the NFL Draft. Harlow was a fourth round selection of the Atlanta Falcons in 2017 while Seumalo went in the third round to Philadelphia in 2016 and will play in Super Bowl LII.
Under Woods' direction, the Oregon State offense carried the ball for a school-record 5.2 yards per carry in 2016 and increased its scoring average by more than a touchdown that season. The San Dimas, Calif., native was also a leader of men in the classroom as seven of his offensive linemen were named to the Pac-12 Conference All-Academic team during his time in Corvalis.
Prior to Oregon State, Woods served as the offensive line coach at Wisconsin where his group helped block for running back Melvin Gordon during his monster senior season in 2014 when he won the Doak Walker Award and was a Heisman Trophy finalist. That season, Gordon rushed for 2,587 yards, second-most in a single season in FBS history, and set the FBS single-game rushing record with 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 offensive 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 his first season with Wisconsin in 2013, the Badgers set a then-school record with 3,689 rushing yards to go along with a school record 450.8 yards per game of total offense. With Woods' offensive line leading the way, Gordon and fellow running back James White became the first running backs in NCAA history to each eclipse 1,400 rushing yards in the same season.
All totaled, Woods mentored seven All-Big Ten players at Wisconsin, including four All-Americans, and helped offensive lineman Rob Havenstein get his name called in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams.
Before Wisconsin, Woods spent four years at Utah State (2009-12) including the final two directing the offensive line. The Aggies rewrote the offensive record books by setting school records for offense in consecutive seasons, concluding with 6,108 yards in 2012. Woods coached five players to All-Western Athletic Conference honors, including Tyler Larsen and Philip Gapelu in 2011 who became the first duo to USU linemen on the first team since 1997.
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, where he coached tight end Ricky Burgan to NAIA All-American honors, 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. Offensive lineman Eric Cook was drafted from New Mexico in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft while Byron Bell was named a freshman All-American in 2008.
As of his hiring with the Hilltoppers, seven of Woods' former offensive line pupils are active on NFL rosters including Bell, Larsen, Havenstein, Harlow, Seumalo, Ryan Groy (Buffalo Bills), and Tyler Marz (Tennessee Titans).
Woods and his wife, the former Kelly Williams, have two daughters, Madison and McKenzie. 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.
THE WOODS FILE
PERSONAL
Born: Dec. 2, 1980
Hometown: San Dimas, Calif.
College: Azusa Pacific, '02 (Business); Azusa Pacific, '05 (M.S., Physical Education)
Wife: Kelly
Children: Madison and McKenzie
PLAYING CAREER (Offensive Line)
College: Citrus Junior College (1999), Iowa State (2000), Azusa Pacific (2001-02)
COACHING CAREER
2003: Azusa Pacific (Graduate Assistant/Offensive Line)
2004-05: Azusa Pacific (Tight Ends)
2006: Citrus Junior College (Offensive Line/Run Game Coordinator)
2007-08: New Mexico (Graduate Assistant/Offensive Line)
2009-10: Utah State (Tight Ends/Special Teams)
2011-12: Utah State (Offensive Line)
2013-14: Wisconsin (Offensive Line)
2015: Oregon State (Offensive Line)
2016: Oregon State (Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line/Tight Ends)
2017: Oregon State (Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line)
2018-19: WKU (Offensive Line)
BOWL EXPERIENCE
2007: New Mexico Bowl (New Mexico, Coach)
2011: Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Utah State, Coach)
2012: Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Utah State, Coach)
2013: Capital One Bowl (Wisconsin, Coach)
2014: Outback Bowl (Wisconsin, Coach)
