Shiel Wood rejoined the coaching staff as safeties coach and recruiting coordinator in January of 2016. He added the role of defensive coordinator in January of 2017. Wood coached for six seasons at Wofford from 2007 to 2012, on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. In his eight seasons on staff, the Terriers have won four SoCon Championships and reached the NCAA FCS Playoffs seven times. As a recruiter, Wood will concentrate on central Georgia from South Carolina to Alabama. Areas include Elbert county down to Augusta (Richmond Co), Gwinnett county in metro Atlanta, Fayetteville, Columbus, Macon, and McDonough.
Last season, his first as defensive coordinator, the total defense was second in the Southern Conference and 26th in the nation. The rushing defense was first in the league and allowed less than 100 rushing yards in six games. The team posted a 10-3 overall record and won the Southern Conference Championship with a 7-1 mark. Safety Mason Alstatt was second on the team with 76 tackles and an interception, while safety Malik Rivera was third with 74 tackles and an interception on a two-point conversion.
In 2016, the Wofford defense was fifth in the nation in total defense and 22nd in passing defense. Safety Jaleel Green was named All-Southern Conference first team by the media and second team by the coaches, while cornerback George Gbesee earned Southern Conference All-Freshman Team honors. Green led the team with five interceptions, which ranked second in the league. Cornerback Devin Watson added three interceptions, all of which were in the NCAA FCS Playoffs.
He worked with the wide receivers for the first four seasons on the staff, a position he starred at for the Terriers from 2001-05. He moved to the safeties for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. In his first season with the safeties, the total defense was second in the Southern Conference and the pass defense was sixth. James Zotto was third on the team in tackles with 70. In 2012, the total defense and scoring defense both ranked first in the league.
During the 2010 season, Brenton Bersin tied the school record for receiving touchdowns in a season with nine and he was third in receiving yards in a single season with 703. His 54.1 yard per game ranked eighth in the Southern Conference. He added 146 yards against Chattanooga, the fourth-highest single game total in school history. Bersin signed with the Carolina Panthers as a free agent in 2012.
In 2009, Brenton Bersin averaged 23.7 yards per catch and was twelfth in the Southern Conference in receiving yards per game. During Wood’s second season on the sidelines, Andy Strickland earned All-Southern Conference honors as he posted 656 yards receiving with seven touchdowns. His 19.3 average per catch led the conference and his 54.7 yards per game ranked fifth. Strickland also had the first 100+ yard receiving game for the Terriers since 2005. Strickland spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Atlanta Falcons.
In his first season working with the wide receivers, junior Andy Strickland was tenth in the conference with 46.1 receiving yards per game and ninth with 599 total receiving yards.
Wood was a two-year starter at wide receiver and was the leading receiver on Wofford’s 2003 squad that won the Southern Conference Championship and advanced to the national semifinals of the Football Championship Subdivision. Wood had four receptions for 51 yards in a win over Georgia Southern in 2003 and made five receptions in three postseason playoff games. His 23 receptions on the year were the most on the team. Wood finished his career with 42 receptions for 609 yards. He was named the team’s Most Outstanding Receiver as a sophomore in 2002.
A graduate of Spartanburg High, Wood was an all-area and all-academic selection while catching 46 passes for 538 yards and five touchdowns as a senior. He also lettered in track and basketball.
David Shiel Wood, Jr. was born August 26, 1982. He graduated from Wofford in 2006 with a degree in government. He spent the 2006 season as an assistant coach at Woodruff High School and helped the Wolverines to the Region II-AA championship and a berth in the state playoffs with a 9-3 record. Wood also served as camp director for the Mike Ayers Football Camps for five years.
Wood and his wife, Bernie, were married in June of 2010 and have a daughter, Fay. Bernie is a former soccer player at Wofford and graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. She currently works as an Internal Medicine/Pediatrics physician with Greenville Health System.
