In his 17 years at the helm of University of Mary Washington men’s basketball, Rod Wood has established himself as one of the premier coaches in the region. During his tenure, the Eagles have risen from the depths of the Capital Athletic Conference to become one of the elite teams in the Middle Atlantic region, and Wood has been named as the CAC Coach of the Year four times. 

A 1985 graduate of Randolph-Macon College, Wood has tasted much success, winning the CAC Coach of the Year award in his first season, in 1996-97, after leading the Eagles to a 15-11 record and third seed in the CAC Tournament. Wood also claimed conference coach of the year honors in 2000-01, and again in 2002-03, when the Eagles shattered the school record for wins, with 24, and reigned as CAC Champions. The 2007-08 season saw the success continue, as Wood gained CAC Coach of the Year honors after leading the Eagles to the CAC Championship game with three new starters in the lineup. The Eagles are one of just three schools in the region to have won at least 14 games from 2001-07. 

In 2004, Wood was honored by the NABC at its annual convention at the Division One Final Four, where he was presented a plaque for the CAC regular season championship by NABC president Pat Kennedy and St. Joseph’s head coach Phil Martelli, the national Division One Coach of the Year. 

Under Wood’s direction, the Eagles have not only had the greatest eight seasons in school history in the last ten years, but have also gained national acclaim, as the program has been featured several times on D3hoops.com, as well as in the local and regional media that covers UMW every game. 

As a player, Wood was one of the best players ever at Randolph-Macon under legendary head coach Hal Nunnally. As the starting point guard, Wood led three RMC teams to NCAA Tournaments in his four seasons, and still ranks among the school’s scoring, steals, and assists leaders. Prior to his standout collegiate career, Wood was a member of the 1981 Virginia State Championship team at Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield, still the last Fairfax County team to capture the state crown. Wood was an assistant coach at Lee for two years before taking over at UMW, and also worked as a scout for collegiate basketball in Northern Virginia before becoming a head coach. 

Wood is part of a prestigious fraternity of coaches who played under Nunnally at Randolph-Macon which includes his former collegiate roommate, Gregg Marshall, the head coach at Wichita State University. 

Wood and his wife, Amy live in Lorton, Va., and are the parents of two daughters, Jenna and Jolie.