Florida A&M University's new head football coach most recently coached at the University of Buffalo in New York. Alex Wood is replacing former FAMU head coach Earl Holmes, who was fired midway through the season after posting a 6-16 out of 22 games.
From FAMU:
Wood has more than 30 years of coaching experience at the high school, collegiate and professional levels. He served as running backs coach at the University of Miami from 1989-93 helping the team win a pair of national championships, including a perfect 12-0 season in 1991. Wood served as head coach at James Madison University (JMU) from 1995-1998 and led them to an 8-4 record and the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs in his first season. Wood also served as a coach and coordinator for four years in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals, and Minnesota Vikings. Prior to accepting the top job at FAMU, Wood served as the offensive coordinator at the University of Buffalo (UB) since 2011. He is often given credit for UB’s prolific offense. In 2014, the team finished fourth in total offense and third in scoring offense out of 13 teams in the Mid-American Conference. He was tapped to serve as interim head coach in October replacing head coach Jeff Quinn. “When President Mangum tasked me with completing the search for a head coach with a proven record of developing a competitive football program, possessing high moral and ethical character, a capacity to inspire our student-athletes, and the capabilities to take the program in a new direction, one of the first coaches that came to mind was Alex Wood,” said Interim AD Nelson Townsend. “The stars aligned perfectly for FAMU to get a coach of the caliber of Alex.” “I am delighted to join the Rattler family,” said Wood at the news conference. After meeting with Interim AD Nelson and President Mangum, I am thoroughly convinced that through working together with the Board of Trustees, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and supporters, we can build a competitive football program that will play a positive role in helping FAMU enhance its brand and achieve its mission of becoming a best-in-class academic institution.” Commenting on the hiring of Wood, President Mangum said, “I applaud the ability of Interim AD Townsend to swiftly, yet carefully and deliberately, complete the search for a new head coach. Moreover, I commend him for identifying a person with the capabilities and integrity of Alex Wood.”
