Eastern Illinois University Athletics

Alma Mater: Tennessee, 1996

Thomas Woods is in second season as an assistant coach at Eastern Illinois on head coach Kim Dameron’s staff., Woods serves as an offensive coach with wide receivers.

In his first season with the Panthers Woods coached All-American wide receiver Adam Drake as he caught 93 passes for 1,321 yards and 12 touchdowns. ,Drake was the FCS regular season leader in pass receptions and finished in both the EIU and OVC career top ten for pass receptions. ,As a unit the EIU wide receivers caught 181 passes for 2,187 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Prior to joining the EIU staff Woods worked for five seasons as an assistant coach at Tulane where he coached the wide receivers., At Tulane, Woods helped to develop a young receiving corps that increased its total number of catches in each season., He mentored receiver Casey Robottom who was considered one of the top receivers in Conference USA., Woods coached wide receiver Jeremy Williams as he ranked 11th in the nation in receiving en route to an invitation to both the East-West Shrine Game and Senior Bowl.

Woods spent the 2006 season as the wide receivers coach at Jacksonville State after one year coaching at Cookeville High School in Tennessee.

From 2000-05, Woods was the wide receivers coach/return specialist coach at the University of Mississippi on David Cutcliffe’s staff., He helped the Rebels appear in three bowls games including winning the SEC West title in 2003 with a trip to the Cotton Bowl., Woods coached wideout Chris Collins who set or tied nine school receiving records and was a first team All-SEC performer.

Prior to Ole Miss, Woods worked in the Southern Conference as the wide receivers coach at both Western Carolina (1997-2001) and Appalachian State (1996-97)., At Western Carolina he coached a pair of 1,000 yard receivers in 2000., In 2000 his wide receivers won Southern Conference Freshman of the Week honors five times including four straight weeks.

He played wide receiver at the University of Tennessee and was a two-time All-SEC selection in 1988 and 1989., He completed his collegiate career as the Volunteers single season and career receiving leader., He was drafted in the eighth round of the 1990 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins and played two seasons in the World League of American Football for the Barcelona Dragons.

Woods graduated from Tennessee in 1996., He and his wife Maria have two children: Thomas Jr., and Alexander.