Missouri State has hired SMU offensive coordinator Casey Woods as its new head football coach, school officials announced Friday.
The 42-year-old Woods previously spent time on staffs at Auburn (2009-11 and 2013-15) and UAB (2017-19), working as quality control coach and director of player personnel for the Tigers under Gene Chizik and Gus Malzahn and tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator for the Blazers under Bill Clark. His name was mentioned for the opening at UAB, which eventually elevated interim coach Alex Mortensen into the permanent job.
“It is the honor of my lifetime to have the opportunity to be the head football coach of the Missouri State Bears,” Woods said. “Lauren and I, and our five kids — Waverly, Sawyer, Adaline, Amelia and Savannah — are eager to get to work pouring into our team, staff, university, the city of Springfield and all those invested in Missouri State football.
“We will hit the ground running as we seek to capitalize off the current momentum, alignment and success to bring a championship to Springfield. It takes us ALL to win. It takes us ALL to recruit. It takes us ALL to create an environment where players feel at home. Let’s get to work. Go Bears!”
A former Tennessee wide receiver, Woods also worked at Arkansas State (2012) and Missouri (2020-21). In 2022, he joined the SMU staff as offensive coordinator and tight ends coach under Rhett Lashlee, with whom he also worked at Auburn.
Woods replaces Ryan Beard, who left earlier this week to become head coach at Coastal Carolina. The Bears finished their FBS debut season at 7-6, losing 34-28 to Arkansas State in Thursday night’s Xbox Bowl.
“We are thrilled to welcome Casey Woods as our next head football coach,” Missouri State athletics director Patrick Ransdell said. “Casey is an absolute winner. He is going to continue our upward trajectory with an unwavering commitment to developing student-athletes on and off the field. His ability to develop offensive talent and recruit top-level talent will make him an ideal fit for Missouri State. I look forward to the Springfield community getting to know Casey, Lauren and the entire Woods family in the coming months.”
Woods’ hiring at Missouri State leaves Michigan and Ohio as the only FBS schools with football coaching openings. Both of those schools fired their previous coaches for off-field reasons.
