Woods II Hired as Head Women’s Wrestling Coach, Director of Wrestling
Oskaloosa--William Penn University Athletics Director Grant Farris is proud to announce the hiring of Gary Woods II as the new Head Women's Wrestling Coach and Director of Wrestling.
In addition to leading the women's program, Woods II will also oversee operations for the men's wrestling team.
Woods II comes to WPU from Southeastern Community College in Burlington, Iowa where he started both the women's and men's wrestling programs last year. The women, who had two All-Americans in their first year of existence, finished 14th at the NJCAA National Championship this past spring.
"We are extremely excited to welcome Gary Woods II as our Director of Wrestling and Head Women's Wrestling Coach," Farris said. "Throughout the hiring process, Coach Woods consistently demonstrated the leadership, vision, and commitment to student-athlete development that we were looking for. We are confident he will provide strong direction for our wrestling programs and help us continue building a culture of success both on and off the mat."
Woods II also got the women's wrestling program off the ground at Joliet Community College (Ill.), serving as the head women's and men's coach during the 2024 and 2025 campaigns. The men's side posted a pair of top-10 finishes in NJCAA Division III, while the women's squad led all D-III programs one season (ninth overall amongst all NJCAA levels). The women produced their first-ever national champion in 2025.
Fostering a strong academic culture, Woods II led the women's team to the highest Grade Point Average on campus and the fifth-highest in NJCAA.
A native of Mineral, Va., Woods II has extensive high school coaching experience on the east coast, most recently as the head coach of both genders at Mountain View HS (Va.) in 2022 and 2023. He guided the boys' team to high finishes in districts, regionals, and state, highlighted by a state title in 2023.
Woods II has also coached at the prep level at Massaponax (assistant coach), Spotsylvania, and Chancellor HS (all in Virginia) from 2014-2021. While at Massaponax, he helped his team to a regional title, a district runner-up finish, and a sixth-place effort at state. At Spotsylvania, he started the girls' team in 2019, while the boys placed in the top five in districts and regionals, while finishing 11th at state. The freshman class won its state championship as well.
"I am incredibly excited to join the William Penn family and take on this dual role," Woods II said. "From the moment I spoke with Grant Farris, I could feel the energy and commitment that William Penn has for its student-athletes. William Penn has a phenomenal reputation for supporting its athletic programs, and the opportunity to lead the women's team while steering the overall direction of the wrestling department is a dream challenge. I am eager to build on the foundation already in place, push both programs toward sustained national success, and create an environment where our student-athletes can thrive both on the mat and in the classroom."
A 2015 graduate of Southern New Hampshire University with a degree in Business Administration, Woods II earned his Master's of Education in Leadership from Waldorf University in 2024.
