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LeVar Woods
LeVar Woods (born March 15, 1978) is the special teams coordinator and assistant head coach for the Michigan State Spartans football team. Woods played linebacker for the Hawkeyes, under both Hayden Fry and Kirk Ferentz. He played professionally with the Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, and Tennessee Titans in the NFL.
Woods has held a variety of administrative and on-field coaching positions since the end of his playing career, all with Iowa up until 2026, when he took on the special teams coordinator position at Michigan State.
Woods attended West Lyon High School in Larchwood, Iowa and was a letterman in football, basketball, and track. He graduated from West Lyon High School in 1996. Woods was the Iowa 2A player of the year as a senior.
Woods attended the University of Iowa, and was a letterman in football. Playing for both Hayden Fry and Kirk Ferentz, he was a two-year starter as an outside linebacker. In 1999, he returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown against Northern Illinois to help clinch Ferentz's first Iowa victory. He finished his college career with four sacks and 165 tackles. As a senior, he was an All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention selection, and was given the Hayden Fry Extra Heartbeat Award.
Woods played in the NFL from 2001 to 2007. After going undrafted in the 2001 NFL draft, he signed for the Arizona Cardinals, where he played four seasons. He later played for the Detroit Lions and Tennessee Titans. Mostly a reserve linebacker in the NFL, Woods excelled on special teams. In 88 career games, Woods totaled 168 tackles, 2.5 quarterback sacks, four fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.
During his NFL career, Woods was named a finalist for both the Byron “Whizzer” White and Walter Payton Man of the Year awards, recognizing his contributions to charity.
Following his retirement from the sport, Woods and his family relocated to Iowa City, though Woods wasn't sure if coaching was in his future. He joined the Iowa football staff as a low-paid administrative assistant in 2008, a role he held for four seasons. As an administrative assistant, Woods compiled statistics, helped with recruiting, social media, and the Iowa football website. At the end of the 2010 season, Iowa defensive coordinator Norm Parker had a foot amputated due to diabetes complications, and Woods became an interim assistant coach in Parker's absence. After the 2011 regular season, Iowa defensive line coach Rick Kaczenski left to join the Nebraska program, and Woods filled in as the defensive line coach for the 2011 Insight Bowl against Oklahoma.
In 2012, Woods was promoted to a full-time on-field assistant coach, coaching outside linebackers and assisting with special teams. Woods and middle linebackers coach Jim Reid developed an excellent linebacking trio in Christian Kirksey, Anthony Hitchens, and James Morris, each earning All-Big Ten recognition. Reid and Woods were named national Linebacker Coaches of the Year by FootballScoop following the 2013 season.
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LeVar Woods
LeVar Woods (born March 15, 1978) is the special teams coordinator and assistant head coach for the Michigan State Spartans football team. Woods played linebacker for the Hawkeyes, under both Hayden Fry and Kirk Ferentz. He played professionally with the Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, and Tennessee Titans in the NFL.
Woods has held a variety of administrative and on-field coaching positions since the end of his playing career, all with Iowa up until 2026, when he took on the special teams coordinator position at Michigan State.
Woods attended West Lyon High School in Larchwood, Iowa and was a letterman in football, basketball, and track. He graduated from West Lyon High School in 1996. Woods was the Iowa 2A player of the year as a senior.
Woods attended the University of Iowa, and was a letterman in football. Playing for both Hayden Fry and Kirk Ferentz, he was a two-year starter as an outside linebacker. In 1999, he returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown against Northern Illinois to help clinch Ferentz's first Iowa victory. He finished his college career with four sacks and 165 tackles. As a senior, he was an All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention selection, and was given the Hayden Fry Extra Heartbeat Award.
Woods played in the NFL from 2001 to 2007. After going undrafted in the 2001 NFL draft, he signed for the Arizona Cardinals, where he played four seasons. He later played for the Detroit Lions and Tennessee Titans. Mostly a reserve linebacker in the NFL, Woods excelled on special teams. In 88 career games, Woods totaled 168 tackles, 2.5 quarterback sacks, four fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.
During his NFL career, Woods was named a finalist for both the Byron “Whizzer” White and Walter Payton Man of the Year awards, recognizing his contributions to charity.
Following his retirement from the sport, Woods and his family relocated to Iowa City, though Woods wasn't sure if coaching was in his future. He joined the Iowa football staff as a low-paid administrative assistant in 2008, a role he held for four seasons. As an administrative assistant, Woods compiled statistics, helped with recruiting, social media, and the Iowa football website. At the end of the 2010 season, Iowa defensive coordinator Norm Parker had a foot amputated due to diabetes complications, and Woods became an interim assistant coach in Parker's absence. After the 2011 regular season, Iowa defensive line coach Rick Kaczenski left to join the Nebraska program, and Woods filled in as the defensive line coach for the 2011 Insight Bowl against Oklahoma.
In 2012, Woods was promoted to a full-time on-field assistant coach, coaching outside linebackers and assisting with special teams. Woods and middle linebackers coach Jim Reid developed an excellent linebacking trio in Christian Kirksey, Anthony Hitchens, and James Morris, each earning All-Big Ten recognition. Reid and Woods were named national Linebacker Coaches of the Year by FootballScoop following the 2013 season.