Shiel Wood Nearly Quit Coaching to Support Wife

What’s tougher — calling plays in the Big 12 or surviving medical residency? For Texas Tech defensive coordinator Shiel Wood, the answer once pushed him to step away from football at the height of his early career.

Shiel Wood, who now works under Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire, nearly gave up coaching in 2013 to support his wife, Bernadette, as she began her medical residency. At the time, Wood was in his sixth season at Wofford and building his résumé in college football.

“Medical residency is an extremely demanding time,” Shiel Wood explained, noting that even an 80-hour coaching week could not compare to the 30-hour shifts his wife faced. The couple wondered how they would manage it all, especially with their first child on the way, according to team and interview accounts.

So Shiel Wood made a rare move in the coaching world. He stepped back from football to become a stay-at-home dad, allowing Bernadette — a former Wofford soccer and track standout — to finish medical school at the University of South Carolina and begin her residency in Greenville.

Their daughter, Fay, was born in March 2013, just months before Bernadette completed medical school. When Fay later faced medical issues, Wood’s decision to stay home proved even more important, as he handled daily responsibilities while his wife worked long hospital shifts.

Even away from the field, Wood never fully left the game. He stayed connected through friends at Wofford and occasionally drove to Appalachian State to trade ideas with defensive coordinator Nate Woody, a longtime mentor who had once recruited him.

Stay-at-home dads are uncommon in college football. One other example is Pittsburgh State head coach Tom Anthony, who also took time to care for his children while his wife worked at a bank, according to program reports.

Wood’s coaching journey began long before his rise in the Power Five ranks. He spent a decade behind the scenes with the Wofford Terriers football before making a major leap in 2018 to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football as safeties coach.

From there, Wood added stops at the Georgia State Panthers football, Army Black Knights football, Troy Trojans football, Tulane Green Wave football and Houston Cougars football before joining Texas Tech in 2024, according to team releases.

His impact followed him at every stop. At Houston, Wood inherited a defense that had allowed 31.5 points and 423.9 yards per game before his arrival, and those numbers dropped to 22.9 points and 324.8 yards under his watch, producing a top-25 national defense and the second-best unit in the Big 12.

Since 2021, Shiel Wood’s defenses have consistently held opponents under 23 points per game. His 2022 Troy defense finished eighth nationally, and his 2023 Tulane unit also cracked the top 25, based on official statistics.

In December 2025, Texas Tech rewarded Wood with a three-year contract extension worth $5.55 million plus bonuses. The raise came after he helped reshape the Red Raiders’ defense into one of the conference’s most reliable groups.

Following the 2026 season, Shiel Wood was named one of five finalists for the 30th Broyles Award, which honors the nation’s top assistant coach. He joined Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, Miami defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman, Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines on the shortlist, according to the award’s official announcement.

Haines ultimately won the honor, but Wood’s résumé continues to grow. From rebuilding struggling defenses to earning national recognition, his coaching story keeps gaining momentum.

Still, Shiel Wood’s most meaningful victory may have come years earlier — when he chose family first and stepped away from football to support the people who matter most.

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