Star Wood

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Star Wood
Playing career
Football
c. 1934Milligan
Basketball
c. 1934Milligan
Baseball
c. 1934Milligan
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1936Coeburn HS (VA) (assistant)
1937–1399Milligan (line)
1942Appalachian State (backfield)
1944–1945NC State (assistant)
1947–1949Tennessee Tech (assistant)
1950–1951Tennessee Tech
1952–1953East Tennessee State
1955–1965East Tennessee State
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1954–1962East Tennessee State
Head coaching record
Overall74–67–7
Bowls3–1
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1 OVC (1962)
Awards
2× OVC Coach of the Year (1957, 1962)

Sterling "Star" Wood was an American football coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Tennessee Polytechnic Institute—now known as Tennessee Technological University—in Cookeville, Tennessee from 1950 to 1951, and East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee from 1952 to 1953 and 1955 to 1965. Wood was also the athletic director at East Tennessee State from 1954 to 1962.[1][2]

Wood attended Big Stone Gap High School in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, where he lettered in football, baseball, and track before graduating as valedictorian of his class in 1931. He moved on to Milligan College in Milligan College, Tennessee, earning varsity letters in football, basketball, and baseball. He received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Tennessee in 1940.

Wood began his career as a teacher at the Roaring Fork mining camp and then as an English teacher and assistant football coach at Coeburn High School in Coeburn, Virginia. He then returned to Milligan College as an English instructor and line coach to assist head football coach Steve Lacy. Wood was the backfield coach under Beattie Feathers at Appalachian State Teachers College—now known as Appalachian State University in 1942 and also an assistant under Feathers at North Carolina State University. He was an assistant football coach at Tennessee Tech under Hooper Eblen for three seasons before succeeding Eblen as head football coach in December 1949.[3]

Head coaching record[]

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (Ohio Valley Conference) (1950–1951)
1950 Tennessee Tech 4–7 1–5 7th
1951 Tennessee Tech 5–5–1 3–3 T–4th
Tennessee Tech: 9–12–1 4–8
East Tennessee State (Volunteer State Athletic Conference) (1952–1953)
1952 East Tennessee State 6–1–2 W Burley
1953 East Tennessee State 5–4 W Burley
East Tennessee State (Volunteer State Athletic Conference) (1955–1957)
1955 East Tennessee State 6–3–1 W Burley
1956 East Tennessee State 4–5 L Burley
1957 East Tennessee State 5–6
East Tennessee State (Ohio Valley Conference) (1958–1965)
1958 East Tennessee State 5–4 4–2 3rd
1959 East Tennessee State 6–3 4–2 3rd
1960 East Tennessee State 3–4–2 1–3–2 5th
1961 East Tennessee State 3–7 1–5 6th
1962 East Tennessee State 8–2 4–2 T–1st
1963 East Tennessee State 7–2 5–2 3rd
1964 East Tennessee State 5–5 3–4 T–5th
1965 East Tennessee State 2–6–1 1–6 8th
East Tennessee State: 65–52–6
Total: 74–67–7
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

References[]

  1. ^ "Hal Littleford Named Head Football Coach at ETSC". The Knoxville Journal. Knoxville, Tennessee. January 10, 1954. p. 16. Retrieved September 28, 2020 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  2. ^ "Dr. Sidney Rice Named Chairman Of Athletics". Johnson City Press. Johnson City, Tennessee. April 29, 1962. p. 13. Retrieved September 28, 2020 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  3. ^ "Gap Coach Made Head Mentor At Tennessee Tech". The Post. Big Stone Gap, Virginia. December 29, 1949. p. 1. Retrieved September 28, 2020 – via Newspapers.com open access.
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