BIO
Casey Woods enters his fourth season on the Hilltop in 2025 as Chief of Staff / Offensive Coordinator. He also coaches the tight ends on offense.
Woods joined the Mustangs as Offensive Coordinator in December 2021. Woods came to the Hilltop after two seasons at Missouri, serving as tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator for the SEC school. Woods-led teams have won five conference championships across four different conferences (SEC, Conference USA, Sun Belt, American).
The Mustangs' offense was again one of the best in all of college football in 2024 with Woods playing a critical role in the continued dominance on that side of the field, which resulted in the school's first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff (CFP) as the No. 11 seed.
The 11 wins in 2024 marked back-to-back 11-win seasons for the first time in program history, which led to the Mustangs climbing as high as seventh in the Coaches Poll and eighth in the AP Poll, the highest they have been since 1985. Overall, SMU finished 12th in the poll.
Despite the step up into a power conference, the Mustangs continued to produce on offense at an elite level, averaging 36.5 points a game on the year, the seventh-highest average for a season in program history. The 511 points scored in 2024 were the third most in program history.
Woods’ group of tight ends was one of the better units in all of FBS, led by RJ Maryland and newcomer Matthew Hibner. Maryland, despite missing second half of the season due to injury, was one of the best at his position in the country, finishing with 24 receptions for 354 yards and four touchdowns in seven games. Maryland still earned All-ACC Honorable Mention despite the limited amount of games he played, but was the first Mustang in program history to earn ACC Receiver of the Week honors with his career-best eight receptions for 162 yards and a touchdown in the comeback win at Nevada to open the year.
Hibner took over after Maryland went down and continued to produce at a high level, resulting in a career year for the newcomer. He finished the year with 24 receptions for 368 yards and four touchdowns, with almost all of it coming from the Duke game and beyond once he took over as the starter.
Woods played a pivotal role for the Mustangs in year two in 2023. The Mississippi native was part of crafting an offensive game plan that led SMU to posting an 11-3 record while capturing its first conference championship since 1984. The 11 wins were tied for the second most in a single season in the program’s prestigious history.
The Mustangs also finished ranked 22nd in the final Associated Press (AP) poll for the first time since 1984.
The second-year coordinator’s offense delivered one of the most prolific seasons in Mustang history, finishing with numbers that ranked in the top five in program history in multiple categories including: total yards (1st, 6,368), first downs (1st, 334) points (2nd, 542), rushing touchdowns (3rd, 29), passing touchdowns (5th, 33), passing yards (5th, 3,897).
SMU’s dominance on the offensive end was among the best the country, ranking in the top 25 in the FBS in numerous categories including: first down offense (6th, 334), scoring offense (8th, 38.7), red zone offense (8th, .931), passing yards per completion (12th, 14.22), sacks allowed (13th, 16), total offense (16th, 454.3) and passing offense (22nd, 278.4).
The high-scoring offense scored at least 55 points four times in 2023, another program record for a single season.
RJ Maryland continued to flourish under Woods’ guidance, earning First Team AAC All-Conference honors as a sophomore. Maryland posted career bests in yards (518), receptions (34) and touchdowns (7) from the tight end position.
In his first season as coordinator, Woods led the Mustang offense to an average of 37.2 points per game, fifth in a season for the program, as SMU scored 63 touchdowns in thirteen games. SMU’s offense averaged over six yards per play (6th, SMU) under Woods, and 472.8 ypg (4th, SMU). The Mustangs’ 4,117 passing yards and 331 first downs set program marks, while the 36 passing TDs and total plays (1,005) rank second. The 2022 squad also posted top-three program marks in scoring (3rd, 484), passing ypg (3rd, 316.7), completion % (3rd, 64.9), completions (2nd, 333), total offense - yards (3rd, 6,147) and first downs - passing (3rd, 174).
Among the FBS ranks, the Mustangs ranked 14th in the nation in total offense, 12th in scoring offense and seventh in both red zone offense and passing offense.
Woods led the tight ends room where Ben Redding and Maryland combined for over 400 yards and 10 touchdowns between them. Maryland went on to earn Freshman All-America honors. In all, three offensive players earned All-American Athletic Conference honors, including Rashee Rice, who was named a second-team All-American by multiple outlets.
Woods helped Mizzou to back-to-back bowl appearances during his time in Columbia, and off the field, his recruiting classes set back-to-back program highs, with the class of 2022 finishing No. 10 nationally.
Prior to arriving at Mizzou, Woods spent three seasons at UAB as tight ends coach, run game coordinator and recruiting coordinator, joining the program as it was reestablished in 2016. Woods helped the Blazers set 21 school records in 2018, including total points (418), total yards (5,680), rushing yards (2,818), total touchdowns (53), rushing touchdowns (32), single-game total yards (668 vs. UTSA) and single-game rushing yards (419 vs. UTSA). UAB posted an 11-3 record and a Conference USA title in 2018, and went to three straight bowl games from 2017-19. He also helped construct the three highest-ranked recruiting classes in school history in Birmingham.
Woods spent the 2013-15 and 2009-11 seasons with Lashlee at Auburn, and the 2012 season at Arkansas State.
During his three seasons as the Tigers' Director of Player Development (2013-15) and three seasons as offensive quality control (2009-11), he was part of the 2010 National Championship team that finished 14-0 and won the BCS Championship Game, as well as the 2013 team which also reached the BCS title game, and won two SEC Championships. As Director of Player Personnel, he led Auburn to three straight top-10 recruiting classes.
As wide receivers coach at Arkansas State, Woods led the unit and served as recruiting coordinator. In his season in Jonesboro, the Red Wolves won the Sun Belt Championship and went 10-3 with a victory over No. 25 Kent State in the GoDaddy.com Bowl.
Woods spent 2008 as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Tennessee. As a student-athlete, he played in 41 games from 2003-07 as a wide receiver and holder. He was named a team captain as a senior in 2007. In five seasons in Knoxville, the Vols went 44-20 with three 10-win seasons. Woods was a four-time All-SEC academic selection.
He earned his undergraduate degree from Tennessee in 2006, and went on to earn his graduate degree from UT as well in 2008. Woods and wife Lauren have five children – Waverly Grace, Sawyer Davis, Adaline Leigh, Amelia Ann and Savannah Claire.
