Casey Woods has been in the mix for several FBS head coaching opportunities. It appears the SMU offensive coordinator is finally getting his opportunity.
Woods reportedly will be Missouri State’s next head coach. This news drops as the Bears prepare for their first-ever bowl game against Arkansas State in the Xbox Bowl on Thursday evening. The Bears went 7-5 in their first season in the FBS and Conference USA.
Former head coach Ryan Beard took the same job at Coastal Carolina after Tim Beck was fired there.
Woods is a successful FBS coordinator with experience in Missouri. The Mustangs were eighth in the FBS in points per game (38.7) and 16th in yards per game (454.9) in 2023, their last year in the American. SMU, in its first year in the ACC, reached the College Football Playoff in 2024. The Mustangs were tied for 27th in the FBS in scoring offense (32.9 points per game) and 35th in total offense (419 yards per game) after the end of the 2025 regular season.
At UAB, Woods was a tight ends coach, run game coordinator, and recruiting coordinator for three years after the football program came back in 2016. The Blazers set several school records and put together some highly-regarded recruiting classes during his time there.
Woods has also been a tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator at Missouri. He also coached wide receivers and was a recruiting coordinator at Arkansas State in 2012 when the Red Wolves went 10-3, earned a Sun Belt title, and won the GoDaddy.com Bowl.
Woods was one of the targets to be the head coach at UAB, an opening that ultimately went to Alex Mortensen.
