David Wood has accomplished a great deal in six seasons as Widener’s football coach, making the squad one of the Middle Atlantic Conference’s elite. He hopes to make that continue in year seven.
Serving as a player, assistant coach or head coach over 21 of the last 22 years, Wood has helped shape the mold of one of the area’s top programs. The Pride in 2007 stormed to their league-record 17th MAC title and 12th trip to the NCAA Tournament by going undefeated in the conference, en route to an 8-3 overall record.
This came on the heels of Widener winning back-to-back ECAC titles in 2005 and 2006, marking the first time the program won postseason championships in consecutive years. The first gave the program its first postseason title since 1981.
Continuing to climb the ladder, Wood last season became the fifth winningest coach in school history and now has 38 victories.
His likeable personality and strong leadership skills have helped him carve a niche on the Chester campus. This has helped pave the way for bigger and better things to occur down the road. With plenty of resources at his disposal, Wood has the program headed in the right direction.
The 21st coach in school history, Wood is in his fourth season as the Middle Atlantic Conference’s NCAA representative. Wood also has participated in Pete Carroll’s USC Football Camp.
Wood last year added a major notch to his resume, being named District II chamair of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-America Team Selection Committee.
Wood is a two-time All-MAC player, receiving citations as a Division III All-American and Academic All-District player as a senior. He helped Widener to its second straight MAC pass defense title and a No. 12 Division III statistical ranking in 1990.
After graduation, Wood was an assistant coach for the squad working with the defensive backs, running backs, linebackers and special teams from 1991-1995. He spent 1996 as the running backs coach at Division I-AA powerhouse Lehigh University before returning to Widener in 1997 as defensive coordinator.
In his role with the defense, the team has been one of the best units in the country against the run. The defense in 1998 led the nation in allowing just 31.4 yards per game on the ground. The rushing defense enjoyed consecutive top six national rankings in rushing defense, with the last coming in 2002 with a mark of 73.4 yards per game. During the 1998 season, the defense shattered the school record with 73 sacks and ranked seventh nationally in total defense after allowing 226.1 yards per game. Four different times that season, Widener held opponents to negative yards on the ground, including a school record minus-43 yards at Delaware Valley.
Wood also is the university’s head golf coach. Under his direction, the team enjoyed its highest mark in school history with a second-place finish in 2002. During that year, Jeff Flynn won the individual title at the MAC Championship and was subsequently named conference Player of the Year. He was Widener’s first conference champion in the sport.
Outside of Widener, Wood is a member of the National Register’s Who’s Who in Executives and Professionals and also is treasurer of the Delaware County Literacy Council Board of Directors.
A three-year defensive starter for the squad, Wood graduated from Widener in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and received a Master’s of Taxation degree from the University in 1993.
A native of Yeadon, Wood was one of Delaware County’s leading rushers with an average of 5.7 yards per carry at Penn Wood High School in 1986.
Wood resides in Boothwyn with his wife Deanna and children David, 10, Matthew, 9, C.J., 5, and Samantha, 2.
