New VMI Football Coach

[keydet71]

A bit of a surprise....Sparky Woods.....

http://www.vmikeydets.com/article.asp?articleid=90260

[catamount man]

Glad to see Sparky land another head gig. Before today, no other former South Carolina Gamecocks head football coach had ever been a head coach again at the division one level. Kiss that tidbit goodbye. Good luck Phillip "Sparky" Woods.

GO CATAMOUNTS!!!

[Eyes of Old Main]

Before today, no other former South Carolina Gamecocks head football coach had ever been a head coach again at the division one level.

Nah, keep it going, just make sure to say FBS level.

[CSUBUCDAD]

I just posted that on the Gamecock board. Will see what kind of response it gets there.

[Monarch History]

I think this is a good hire for VMI. I hope he has a successful tenure for the Keydets.xnodx

[jmuroller]

Kind of surprised. IMO they should have hired a young, energetic coach. That is what VMI needs. I'm glad they left Durden alone though, he was perfect for them.

[CID1990]

I thoroughly enjoyed the last game I attended where The Citadel played a Sparky Woods - coached team.

[SoCon48]

Glad to see Sparky land another head gig. Before today, no other former South Carolina Gamecocks head football coach had ever been a head coach again at the division one level. Kiss that tidbit goodbye. Good luck Phillip "Sparky" Woods.

GO CATAMOUNTS!!!

Are you sure? I thought there had been several who went on to other DI schools.

[SoCon48]

Glad to see Sparky land another head gig. Before today, no other former South Carolina Gamecocks head football coach had ever been a head coach again at the division one level. Kiss that tidbit goodbye. Good luck Phillip "Sparky" Woods.

GO CATAMOUNTS!!!

I think some of these did:


Coach
Paul Dietzel
1966
1974
9
96
42 53 1 0.44271
Jim Carlen
1975
1981
7
82
45 36 1 0.55488
Richard Bell
1982
1982
1
11
4 7 0 0.36364
Joe Morrison
1983
1988
6
69
39 28 2 0.57971
Sparky Woods
1989
1993
5
55
25 27 3 0.48182
Brad Scott
1994
1998
5
56
23 32 1 0.41964
Lou Holtz
1999
2004
6
70
33 37 0 0.47143
Steve Spurrier

[catdaddy2402]

Are you sure? I thought there had been several who went on to other DI schools.
Many went on to be assistant coaches, but none have been a head coach at another Div I school until today.

There was some debate as to the truth of that claim as the coach at South Carolina for the 1945 season John McMillan did coach at The Citadel in 1953 and 1954...but The Citadel had reclassified from the Major College division to the Small College division from 1953-1958.

[SoCon48]

I thoroughly enjoyed the last game I attended where The Citadel played a Sparky Woods - coached team.

Then you must have missed the 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 Citadel games vs App. All were App victories under Sparky. Seems he did much better coaching ASU vs Cit than at South Carolina.

[catamount man]

Sparky inherited a mess when he arrived in Columbia to replace the dearly departed Joe Morrison. Coming off the steroids deal, not to mention having to replace Joe Mo's fairly successful tenure at Carolina, it was easy to see he was in over his head. Dealing with an INEPT athletic director in King Dixon didn't do Woods any wonders either.

Sparky's 1989 and 1990 teams were invited to the Independence Bowl, but Dixon nixed them as the games were scheduled during exam week.

Sparky's tenure never would be that good again going 3-6-2 in 1991, 5-6 in 1992, and 4-7 his final year of 1993. Best wins were UT and Clemson in 1992, and at UGA in 1993. Bad losses were to The Citadel in 1990 and UK in 1993. Don't forget the tie with Louisiana Tech(12-12) in 1991.

He will make VMI respectable again and successfully wash off his USC tenure IMO.

[SoCon48]

Sparky inherited a mess when he arrived in Columbia to replace the dearly departed Joe Morrison. Coming off the steroids deal, not to mention having to replace Joe Mo's fairly successful tenure at Carolina, it was easy to see he was in over his head. Dealing with an INEPT athletic director in King Dixon didn't do Woods any wonders either.

Sparky's 1989 and 1990 teams were invited to the Independence Bowl, but Dixon nixed them as the games were scheduled during exam week.

Sparky's tenure never would be that good again going 3-6-2 in 1991, 5-6 in 1992, and 4-7 his final year of 1993. Best wins were UT and Clemson in 1992, and at UGA in 1993. Bad losses were to The Citadel in 1990 and UK in 1993. Don't forget the tie with Louisiana Tech(12-12) in 1991.

He will make VMI respectable again and successfully wash off his USC tenure IMO.

Sparky took half the da** ASU roster with him to USC.

[Eyes of Old Main]

The real question is whether or not Sparky is in it for the long haul, or just long enough to move nto a better job somewhere else. Hopefully for VMI's sake, he's there to finish out his career.

[SoCon48]

I don't think he'll have much success, but any success at VMI is an achievement. I'm pulling for him.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Full report:

http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/?title=keydets-decide-on-new-football-coach&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1


VMI will be veteran Sparky Woods’ third head coaching job after stints at Appalachian State and FBS South Carolina.

Nobody likes being fired, but Sparky Woods found some good when he and the rest of Mike Shula’s coaching staff were sent packing by Alabama last year.

“It probably ought to be a rule that every 30 years you get to take a year off,” he said.

Woods’ sabbatical is over.

On Tuesday, Woods became the new head coach of the VMI football team. The former head coach at South Carolina and Appalachian State agreed to a five-year contract with an annual base salary of $122,000, director of athletics Donny White said.

“I’m excited about getting going,” Woods said. “It’s a big, big challenge ahead, but there’s never been a lack of enthusiasm at VMI.”

[AshevilleApp2]

I thoroughly enjoyed the last game I attended where The Citadel played a Sparky Woods - coached team.

I'm afraid to ask. What game was that?

[OL FU]

A blast from the past, I remember Sparky wellxnodx

[AshevilleApp2]

I have fond memories of Sparky in Boone. Our first trips to the playoffs came during his tenure. I hope he does well at VMI.

[CID1990]

I'm afraid to ask. What game was that?

1990.

The Citadel 38
South Carolina 35

[CID1990]

Then you must have missed the 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 Citadel games vs App. All were App victories under Sparky. Seems he did much better coaching ASU vs Cit than at South Carolina.

I didn't miss them.

I said the LAST game played between El Cid and a Sparky Woods coached team. Reading is fundamental, buddy.

[Tealblood]

I thoroughly enjoyed the last game I attended where The Citadel played a Sparky Woods - coached team.

I remember that day well I was in Columbia for it
My dad is a Cid grad-I went for 2 years myself.

I also had met and knew well enough to say I knew Everett Sands and always spoke to his mother who worked at the post office in downtown Conway. He in my opinion was the key to the game since USC could not stop him on the play up the middle.

For years afterward my dad and I would watch the video of the game about once a year.

[OLDMAIN80]

1990.

The Citadel 38
South Carolina 35

I was living in Columbia at the time and it was not a happy place after that game. I think my brother-in-law palyed in that game for El Cid, wide receiver, also played baseball for Chal. Could be wrong he may have already graduated.

[Franks Tanks]

My prediction on how his tenure will play out by season

1.) He will come in with piss & vinegar in his veins and spark a suprising 4 win season in year one.

2.) He will have a lot of optimism going into season 2 and win 2 or 3 games

3.) Season 3 he will again win 2 or 3 games and start to realize he is in an impossible situation

4.) Another 2 or 3 win season and he is off to be an assistant at some ACC or SEC school and VMI will start the process over again

[CID1990]

I remember that day well I was in Columbia for it
My dad is a Cid grad-I went for 2 years myself.

I also had met and knew well enough to say I knew Everett Sands and always spoke to his mother who worked at the post office in downtown Conway. He in my opinion was the key to the game since USC could not stop him on the play up the middle.

For years afterward my dad and I would watch the video of the game about once a year.

I was the drum major of the Regimental Band at that game.

Everette was a big piece of that win, but Jack Douglas and our offensive line were also key. DeRhon Robinson was one of the guards in that game (he is now the principal baritone in the Chicago Metropolitan Opera). He was a good buddy of mine; played drums in the pep band during basketball season. DeRhon said that during most of the game, their defense was talking a lot of smack. He said that the DL across from him was actually in tears during the last few plays of the final winning drive. Priceless.

My best memory of the game was all of the stunned USC fans standing in the stands, apparently waiting for a 5th quarter to start.

I saw no less than three fights among USC fans in the parking lot after the game, including a guy who hit his wife in the head with their car keys because she told him it was "just a game."

Everette Sands is now one of our RBs coaches.

[CID1990]

I was living in Columbia at the time and it was not a happy place after that game. I think my brother-in-law palyed in that game for El Cid, wide receiver, also played baseball for Chal. Could be wrong he may have already graduated.

God bless old Chal Port. There was nobody in the country who could have filled his shoes. The guy we did replace him with couldn't carry Chal's jock.

Your brother-in-law was just an offensive lineman then, since we only threw one pass in that game!

[BULLDOG8180]

God bless old Chal Port. There was nobody in the country who could have filled his shoes. The guy we did replace him with couldn't carry Chal's jock.

Your brother-in-law was just an offensive lineman then, since we only
threw one pass in that game!

Fred has done a pretty good job of filling Chal's shoes, but there will never be another Chal.

But what you know about a jock, being from band company?xeekx

[OLDMAIN80]

God bless old Chal Port. There was nobody in the country who could have filled his shoes. The guy we did replace him with couldn't carry Chal's jock.

Your brother-in-law was just an offensive lineman then, since we only threw one pass in that game!

Could be true, but I thought I remembered him catching a pass against the 'cocks. Did The Citadel play them in '89?

[Biff]

Fred has done a pretty good job of filling Chal's shoes, but there will never be another Chal.

But what you know about a jock, being from band company?xeekx

Hey watch the Band Company jokes there Rifle Monkey. Most of us, while didn't play sports in college, played sports in High School.

Damn, where's Citdog? I'm surprised he hasn't started Q'ing the thread.

And as for Freddie F'ing Jordan, he is the worst thing to ever happen to The Citadel Baseball team. Catch me on The Citadel meassage Board and I will ellaborate.

[BULLDOG8180]

Hey watch the Band Company jokes there Rifle Monkey. Most of us, while didn't play sports in college, played sports in High School.

Damn, where's Citdog? I'm surprised he hasn't started Q'ing the thread.

And as for Freddie F'ing Jordan, he is the worst thing to ever happen to The Citadel Baseball team. Catch me on The Citadel meassage Board and I will ellaborate.

Rifle Monkey?? That must be some kind of a military dick slang- not familiar with that stuff. What does it mean?
Dang, I can't believe it-you are Q Co. too?!

[Millwoch]

I thoroughly enjoyed the last game I attended where The Citadel played a Sparky Woods - coached team.

That was the best day of my knob year. I made the day trip to Columbia for the game, and it was amazing. We tailgated for hours after the game until I had to load up for the long trip back. But I didn't dread it quite as as much that day.:)

[Biff]

I thoroughly enjoyed the last game I attended where The Citadel played a Sparky Woods - coached team.

That was the first Citadel game I ever attended. I sat on the 40 yard line on the home side (My grandfather gets season tickets). Unfortunately for him, My dad ('75) and I ('02) will never let him live that loss down.

[Monarch History]

Kind of surprised. IMO they should have hired a young, energetic coach. That is what VMI needs. I'm glad they left Durden alone though, he was perfect for them.


I would think it would be hard to keep a "young, energetic coach" at VMI. The Keydet life is only for a certain type of student athlete and I believe it might be difficult to recruit at VMI. (One thing I respect about a VMI athlete is their determination and discipline.) Thus a young coach might use the job as a stepping stone in the FCS or FBS. I could see Sparky staying in Lexington until he is ready to retire.

I hope he has a very successful tenure at VMI.xthumbsupx

[Biff]

I would think it would be hard to keep a "young, energetic coach" at VMI. The Keydet life is only for a certain type of student athlete and I believe it might be difficult to recruit at VMI. (One thing I respect about a VMI athlete is their determination and discipline.) Thus a young coach might use the job as a stepping stone in the FCS or FBS. I could see Sparky staying in Lexington until he is ready to retire.

I hope he has a very successful tenure at VMI.xthumbsupx

The Citadel has seen this as the trademark of our coaches. We have had a number do just that. Thankfully we found Kevin Higgins. Hopefully he will be around for awhile.

[Go...gate]

I still hope VMI is giving some thoughtful consideration to affiliation with the Patriot League. IMHO, it would be a win-win thing.

[CID1990]

Could be true, but I thought I remembered him catching a pass against the 'cocks. Did The Citadel play them in '89?

Actually, I was being facetious.

We threw three passes in that game if memory serves. Two completions and one incompletion. I don't remember who caught the other one, but one completion was to the Regimental XO (he was one of our recievers.) It was a 3rd and long pass that kept the final winning drive alive.

Back in those days, Wofford and El Cid were carbon copies of each other in terms of offense. We both ran the wishbone, and did a darn good job of it. This is what led me to the crack about WRs being offensive linemen.... they invaribaly did much more blocking than they did catching.