Iowa Now Looking for New Special Teams Coordinator

The Iowa Hawkeyes have lost one of their most accomplished and respected coordinators, as special teams coordinator LeVar Woods announced his departure from the Hawkeyes to accept a position at Michigan State on December 18, 2025.

Woods will become the assistant head coach and special teams coordinator for the Spartans under newly hired head coach Pat Fitzgerald. The decision ends an extraordinary 17-year run with the Iowa program that began in 2008 and spanned multiple coaching roles.

Woods will remain with the Hawkeyes through the ReliaQuest Bowl on New Year's Eve against Vanderbilt before departing for East Lansing to begin his new position with Michigan State.

BREAKING:

Iowa special teams coordinator LeVar Woods is leaving Iowa to accept a new position at MSU

Damn pic.twitter.com/aPJHRIS8Sp
— Barstool Iowa (@BarstoolUIowa) December 18, 2025

The longtime coach played linebacker at Iowa from 1998-2000 before beginning his coaching career with the Hawkeyes in 2008 as an administrative assistant.

Since assuming the full-time special teams coordinator role in 2018, Woods revolutionized Iowa's special teams operations. Under his leadership, the Hawkeyes became one of college football's best special teams programs, consistently ranking among the nation's leaders in punt returns, kickoff returns, and return defense.

Iowa averages the most yards per punt return in college football, while ranking 10th nationally in yards per kickoff return.

Woods developed several All-Big Ten and All-American specialists during his tenure. He mentored Kaden Wetjen, who won the Big Ten Specialist of the Year award for the second consecutive season in 2025, the first player ever to accomplish that feat in the Big Ten. Woods was also crucial in the development of punter Tory Taylor, one of the most decorated specialists in Iowa football history.

Iowa special teams coordinator LeVar Woods speaks with reporters at a spring football news conference, Thursday, April 20, 2023, at the Hansen Football Performance Center in Iowa City, Iowa. | Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

“First and foremost, there are definitely places that shape you, and there are places that make you. For me, Iowa is both.” Woods said. “The University of Iowa gave me more than football. It gave me my life. I met my wife here in Iowa City.”

“Iowa City hasn’t been a stop on our journey, it’s really been the center of it. As long as I can think about being an adult, certainly don’t get to these points by yourself. This is not easy at all, if you can’t tell. You don’t walk away lightly from a program like this, a place like this, a locker room like this, players like this, coaches, a state that feels like family. It’s not easy to do.”

Kirk Ferentz on LeVar Woods’ Departure

Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz shared his feelings about parting ways with Woods.

“I know it was a tough decision for him, and it was a really good opportunity for him to consider,” Ferentz said. “We’ve had several coaches have that opportunity, as well. Just first and foremost, just want to congratulate him on that….. He’s done a great job, coached a lot of great players in his role at all positions, but particularly the special teams.

“He was on the team when I got here in December of ’98 and was a veteran player, one of the good veteran players that we had, and was a really big part of helping try to build this thing when we got started. Obviously a good player but more importantly a real leader and a guy who had helped set tempo and was really responsive to the way we were doing things.”

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