Michigan State University Athletics
Football
LeVar Woods
- Title:
- Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator
- Email:
- football@msu.edu
- Phone:
- 355-1647
One of the most respected special teams coaches in college football, LeVar Woods was named Michigan State's assistant head coach/special teams coordinator in January 2026.
Woods spent the previous 18 years under Kirk Ferentz at Iowa, including the last 14 coaching special teams, with coordinator duties added in 2017. He has led some of the best special teams units in the country throughout his career and has coached multiple All-Americans, national award winners, NFL Draft picks, Pro Bowlers and all-conference players.
Since the inception of the Big Ten Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year in 2015, Iowa players have won the award five times, including four of the last five years and three years in a row. Hawkeye players have earned first-team All-Big Ten honors on 10 occasions on special teams alone since Woods took over the coordinator role in 2018. Under his supervision on special teams, the Hawkeyes have led the Big Ten in kick returns five times (2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2024) and in punt returns twice (2013, 2025).
A former Hawkeye linebacker who spent seven seasons in the NFL, Woods also coached linebackers (2012-14) and tight ends (2015-17) during his tenure in Iowa City. Following his NFL career, Woods began at Iowa as an administrative assistant for four years (2008-11) before moving into an on-field coaching role.
Woods is one of the few assistant coaches in the nation to earn FootballScoop National Coach of the Year awards twice for two different positions (Special Teams Coordinator of the Year in 2023; Co-Linebackers Coach of the Year in 2013).
This past season, Iowa's special teams were once again elite, ranking in the top 20 of the FBS in punt returns (first with 27.7-yard avg.), kick return defense (sixth with 15.1-yard avg.) and kickoff returns (18th with 24.4-yard avg.). Kaden Wetjen earned consensus first-team All-America honors as a return specialist, leading the FBS in punt returns (26.8-yard average), punt return touchdowns (3) and combined kick returns (1,039 yards). He also won the Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year for the second year in a row. In addition, Iowa ranked 23rd in the FBS with two blocked kicks.
Wetjen also led the country in combined return yardage in 2024 as he won the Jet Award for the nation's top return specialist (1,055 yards).
Woods was named the FootballScoop Special Teams Coordinator of the Year in 2023 after another record-breaking season for the Hawkeyes on special teams. Iowa led the FBS in net punting (44.2-yard avg.) while ranking third in blocked punts (2), eighth in kick return defense (15.6) and 10th in blocked kicks (3). Two Hawkeyes were named unanimous first-team All-Americans in punter Tory Taylor and return specialist Cooper DeJean. Taylor, who was also the Big Ten Punter of the Year for the second time in his career, became the first player in school history to win the Ray Guy Award after setting new FBS single-season records for most punt yards (4,479) and average yards per punt (minimum 75 punts: 48.2-yard average). Taylor also finished his Hawkeye career with a 46.3-yard career average on 295 career punts (13,657 yards), breaking the record for career average (minimum 250 career punts).
During the 2021 season, Charlie Jones was named the Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year after ranking second in the FBS in combined kick return yards (920) and kicker Caleb Shudak was a first-team All-Big Ten selection after setting a school record for career field goal accuracy.
Keith Duncan earned Big Ten Kicker of the Year and first-team All-America honors in 2019 after establishing a Big Ten single-season record with 29 made field goals, while Imir Smith-Marsette led the conference and ranked second in the nation with two kickoff return touchdowns. Smith-Marsette was also the Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year in 2018 and ranks second in Big Ten history in career kick return average (28.7).
In addition, Desmond King was one of the top return specialists in college football in 2016 and went on to earn All-Pro recognition in the NFL with the Chargers in 2018.
It wasn't just the players on special teams who excelled under Woods. As the tight ends coach for three seasons (2015-17), Iowa had arguably the best tight ends room in the nation. Three Hawkeye tight ends during that time span were selected in the NFL Draft (George Kittle, T.J. Hockenson, Noah Fant), and in 2019, Hockenson (No. 8) and Fant (No. 20) were both drafted in the first round as Iowa became the first school in the nation to have two tight ends picked in the first round in the same year. Kittle and Hockenson have gone on to earn multiple Pro Bowl honors in the NFL.
As linebackers coach from 2012-14, Woods teamed up with assistant Jim Reid to help lead the Hawkeye defense rank among the best in the nation. Woods and Reid were named the FootballScoop National Co-Linebacker Coaches of the Year in 2013 as Iowa ranked sixth in the FBS in total defense, ninth in scoring defense and No. 19 in rushing defense. Woods coached the trio of Anthony Hitchens, Christian Kirksey and James Morris, and they each recorded more than 100 tackles while earning all-conference recognition.
Woods lettered three seasons as a linebacker at Iowa (1998-2000) and was a two-year starter, collecting 165 career tackles, including 18 for loss and four sacks. As a senior and team captain in 2000, he garnered honorable mention All-Big Ten after tallying 97 tackles. He was selected as the co-MVP and the recipient of the Hayden Fry "Extra Heartbeat Award," which is given each year to the Hawkeye player who gives extraordinary effort on the field.
Woods spent seven seasons in the NFL, playing with Arizona (2001-04), Detroit (2005-06) and Tennessee (2006-07), totaling 168 tackles in 88 career games.
A native of Inwood, Iowa, Woods has always given time back to the community throughout his career. During his stint with the Cardinals, Woods was named a finalist for both the Byron "Whizzer" White and Walter Payton Man of the Year awards, recognizing his contributions to charity. He has hosted several youth football camps and contributed his time to charitable organizations, including the Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids foundation, Homeward Bound, Soup Kitchen, Youth Christmas shopping trips and Milk and Cookies Youth Reading Program, along with speaking engagements to elementary school children. Woods was also instrumental in developing the Hawkeye Readers youth reading program in conjunction with the Iowa City: UNESCO City of Literature, which helps promote the importance of literacy to children.
He earned his degree in elementary education from Iowa in December 2000.
THE WOODS FILE
PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE:
Linebackers coach/special teams at Iowa (2012-14)
Tight ends coach/special teams at Iowa (2015-16)
Tight ends coach/special teams coordinator at Iowa (2017)
Special teams coordinator at Iowa (2018-25)
PLAYING EXPERIENCE:
College: Three-year letterwinner as a linebacker at Iowa (1998-2000).
Professional: Played seven seasons in the NFL (Arizona, 2001-04; Detroit, 2005-06; Tennessee, 2006-07).
Woods spent the previous 18 years under Kirk Ferentz at Iowa, including the last 14 coaching special teams, with coordinator duties added in 2017. He has led some of the best special teams units in the country throughout his career and has coached multiple All-Americans, national award winners, NFL Draft picks, Pro Bowlers and all-conference players.
Since the inception of the Big Ten Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year in 2015, Iowa players have won the award five times, including four of the last five years and three years in a row. Hawkeye players have earned first-team All-Big Ten honors on 10 occasions on special teams alone since Woods took over the coordinator role in 2018. Under his supervision on special teams, the Hawkeyes have led the Big Ten in kick returns five times (2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2024) and in punt returns twice (2013, 2025).
A former Hawkeye linebacker who spent seven seasons in the NFL, Woods also coached linebackers (2012-14) and tight ends (2015-17) during his tenure in Iowa City. Following his NFL career, Woods began at Iowa as an administrative assistant for four years (2008-11) before moving into an on-field coaching role.
Woods is one of the few assistant coaches in the nation to earn FootballScoop National Coach of the Year awards twice for two different positions (Special Teams Coordinator of the Year in 2023; Co-Linebackers Coach of the Year in 2013).
This past season, Iowa's special teams were once again elite, ranking in the top 20 of the FBS in punt returns (first with 27.7-yard avg.), kick return defense (sixth with 15.1-yard avg.) and kickoff returns (18th with 24.4-yard avg.). Kaden Wetjen earned consensus first-team All-America honors as a return specialist, leading the FBS in punt returns (26.8-yard average), punt return touchdowns (3) and combined kick returns (1,039 yards). He also won the Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year for the second year in a row. In addition, Iowa ranked 23rd in the FBS with two blocked kicks.
Wetjen also led the country in combined return yardage in 2024 as he won the Jet Award for the nation's top return specialist (1,055 yards).
Woods was named the FootballScoop Special Teams Coordinator of the Year in 2023 after another record-breaking season for the Hawkeyes on special teams. Iowa led the FBS in net punting (44.2-yard avg.) while ranking third in blocked punts (2), eighth in kick return defense (15.6) and 10th in blocked kicks (3). Two Hawkeyes were named unanimous first-team All-Americans in punter Tory Taylor and return specialist Cooper DeJean. Taylor, who was also the Big Ten Punter of the Year for the second time in his career, became the first player in school history to win the Ray Guy Award after setting new FBS single-season records for most punt yards (4,479) and average yards per punt (minimum 75 punts: 48.2-yard average). Taylor also finished his Hawkeye career with a 46.3-yard career average on 295 career punts (13,657 yards), breaking the record for career average (minimum 250 career punts).
During the 2021 season, Charlie Jones was named the Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year after ranking second in the FBS in combined kick return yards (920) and kicker Caleb Shudak was a first-team All-Big Ten selection after setting a school record for career field goal accuracy.
Keith Duncan earned Big Ten Kicker of the Year and first-team All-America honors in 2019 after establishing a Big Ten single-season record with 29 made field goals, while Imir Smith-Marsette led the conference and ranked second in the nation with two kickoff return touchdowns. Smith-Marsette was also the Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year in 2018 and ranks second in Big Ten history in career kick return average (28.7).
In addition, Desmond King was one of the top return specialists in college football in 2016 and went on to earn All-Pro recognition in the NFL with the Chargers in 2018.
It wasn't just the players on special teams who excelled under Woods. As the tight ends coach for three seasons (2015-17), Iowa had arguably the best tight ends room in the nation. Three Hawkeye tight ends during that time span were selected in the NFL Draft (George Kittle, T.J. Hockenson, Noah Fant), and in 2019, Hockenson (No. 8) and Fant (No. 20) were both drafted in the first round as Iowa became the first school in the nation to have two tight ends picked in the first round in the same year. Kittle and Hockenson have gone on to earn multiple Pro Bowl honors in the NFL.
As linebackers coach from 2012-14, Woods teamed up with assistant Jim Reid to help lead the Hawkeye defense rank among the best in the nation. Woods and Reid were named the FootballScoop National Co-Linebacker Coaches of the Year in 2013 as Iowa ranked sixth in the FBS in total defense, ninth in scoring defense and No. 19 in rushing defense. Woods coached the trio of Anthony Hitchens, Christian Kirksey and James Morris, and they each recorded more than 100 tackles while earning all-conference recognition.
Woods lettered three seasons as a linebacker at Iowa (1998-2000) and was a two-year starter, collecting 165 career tackles, including 18 for loss and four sacks. As a senior and team captain in 2000, he garnered honorable mention All-Big Ten after tallying 97 tackles. He was selected as the co-MVP and the recipient of the Hayden Fry "Extra Heartbeat Award," which is given each year to the Hawkeye player who gives extraordinary effort on the field.
Woods spent seven seasons in the NFL, playing with Arizona (2001-04), Detroit (2005-06) and Tennessee (2006-07), totaling 168 tackles in 88 career games.
A native of Inwood, Iowa, Woods has always given time back to the community throughout his career. During his stint with the Cardinals, Woods was named a finalist for both the Byron "Whizzer" White and Walter Payton Man of the Year awards, recognizing his contributions to charity. He has hosted several youth football camps and contributed his time to charitable organizations, including the Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids foundation, Homeward Bound, Soup Kitchen, Youth Christmas shopping trips and Milk and Cookies Youth Reading Program, along with speaking engagements to elementary school children. Woods was also instrumental in developing the Hawkeye Readers youth reading program in conjunction with the Iowa City: UNESCO City of Literature, which helps promote the importance of literacy to children.
He earned his degree in elementary education from Iowa in December 2000.
THE WOODS FILE
PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE:
Linebackers coach/special teams at Iowa (2012-14)
Tight ends coach/special teams at Iowa (2015-16)
Tight ends coach/special teams coordinator at Iowa (2017)
Special teams coordinator at Iowa (2018-25)
PLAYING EXPERIENCE:
College: Three-year letterwinner as a linebacker at Iowa (1998-2000).
Professional: Played seven seasons in the NFL (Arizona, 2001-04; Detroit, 2005-06; Tennessee, 2006-07).
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