Football
- Title:
- Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach
- Email:
- jwood3@richmond.edu
- Phone:
- 287-1909
2025 marks Justin Wood's ninth season on Head Coach Russ Huesman’s staff at the University of Richmond. Wood was promoted to Defensive Coordinator following the 2019 season after spending three years as the linebackers coach. He was again elevated to Assistant Head Coach following the 2021 fall season.
Wood has raised the Spiders defense to new levels. From 2021 through the 2024 season, Richmond ranked first in the CAA in nearly every major defensive statistical category and was in the top five in the nation in interception return yards, defensive touchdowns, sacks, and fourth-down defense.
Under Wood's guidance, 2024 saw six defensive players earn All-CAA honors, while defensive end Jeremiah Grant, along with safeties Jabril Hayes and Matthew Traynor, earned All-America recognition. Additionally, Grant finished third in voting for the prestigious Buck Buchanan Award, which is given annually to the top defensive player in FCS, and Traynor was named the Coastal Athletic Association's Defensive Rookie of the Year. Wood helped guide Richmond to third in the CAA in rush defense, allowing only 1,657 rushing yards for the season. 2024 also featured two new starters in the Spiders' linebacking corps, joining All-CAA selection Wayne Galloway. Carter Glassmyer, Richmond's leading tackler, was named Second Team All-CAA, leading the Spiders with 87 tackles, including 53 solo, while also recording seven tackles for loss (-23 yards), 3.0 sacks, three pass breakups, one quarterback hurry, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble. The other new starter, Quantraill Morris-Walker, recorded 53 tackles, including 33 solo, added 2.0 tackles for loss (-11 yards), including one sack (-10 yards), and tallied three interceptions in three consecutive weeks to help Richmond finish first in the CAA and 12th in the country in interceptions. With his leadership, the 2024 Spiders finished 10-3, reached the FCS Playoffs for a third consecutive year, and won back-to-back conference championships for just the second time in program history. The team finished the regular season with 10 wins, its best regular-season record since 2009. Wood played a key role in Richmond completing an undefeated 8-0 conference season—the second such accomplishment in program history—while the 2024 team became just the seventh in CAA history to finish conference play unbeaten.
In 2023, Wood led a Richmond defense that ranked at or near the top of the FCS in defensive touchdowns (5, T-1st), takeaways (26, T-4th), third-down defense (0.29, 4th), sacks (39, T-6th), and interceptions (16, T-7th)—all of which categories the Spiders ranked first or second in the Coastal Athletic Association. Wood led the Spiders to a share of the CAA title and back-to-back trips to the FCS Playoffs while helping five defensive players earn All-CAA recognition. Linebacker Tristan Wheeler capped his storied career by earning All-America honors for the fifth consecutive season, believed to be the first player in NCAA history to achieve this feat.
2022 was another strong year for Wood and the Spider defense. Richmond boasted the second-best scoring defense in the Colonial Athletic Association, holding opponents to just 20.1 points per game, and allowed only 333.4 yards per game—the second-fewest in the conference. The Spiders also led the CAA against the rush, allowing just 1,517 rushing yards all season. Richmond ranked fifth in sacks (29) and third in sack yards (200), and recorded a league-high 14 interceptions, including two pick-sixes. Wood's defense, which included six All-CAA selections, helped Richmond achieve its first-ever playoff shutout victory, stopping Davidson 42-0. Richmond held Davidson to just 123 rushing yards on the day. Prior to that game, the Wildcats led the nation in rushing with an average of 350.5 yards per game. Linebacker Tristan Wheeler received the prestigious Chuck Boone Leadership Award and was named a Phil Steele and Stats Perform All-American under Wood's guidance in 2022.
In the 2021 fall season, the Spiders' defense was one of the top units in the CAA, ranking third in scoring defense by holding opponents to just 20.0 points per game. The Spiders tied for second in the league with 31 total sacks. The defense was highlighted by three First Team All-CAA honors, including two from Wood's position group—the linebackers. The honorees included Tristan Wheeler and Tyler Dressler at linebacker, and Kobie Turner on the defensive line.
During the spring 2021 season, the Spiders' defense was a key strength of the team, highlighted by five All-Conference selections. Defensive tackle Kobie Turner was named the Colonial Athletic Association Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the shortened season, becoming just the fifth Spider in program history to earn CAA Defensive Player of the Year honors and the first since Eric McBride in 2010. Turner was also the first interior defensive lineman in the CAA to win the award since 2011 (Ronnie Cameron, ODU).
Joining Turner on the All-CAA team that spring were fellow defensive lineman Darius Reynolds, linebackers Tyler Dressler and Tristan Wheeler, and cornerback Tyrek Funderburk. Wheeler was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the top defensive player in NCAA FCS Football. Additionally, Wood’s linebacker corps secured two of the four First Team All-CAA spots that spring.
In 2019, the Spiders’ linebackers were a standout unit, highlighted by All-Conference performer Tyler Dressler and Freshman All-American Tristan Wheeler. The duo became the first pair of Spiders to each have 100 or more tackles in the same season since Eric McBride and Collin McConaghy in 2007.
Dressler earned First Team All-CAA honors, becoming the first Spider linebacker to earn First Team honors since Omar Howard in 2016. Dressler tied for the team lead with 104 tackles and led the CAA in tackles per game at 9.5, a half-tackle more than any other player. He ranked 25th in the nation in tackles per game.
Wheeler had a record-setting season for a freshman. The 2019 Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Rookie of the Year, Wheeler was also a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, given to the top freshman in NCAA FCS Football. He finished his rookie season leading all freshmen in the country with 104 tackles, despite not starting until the fourth game of the year. Wheeler became the first freshman in NCAA FCS history to reach the 100-tackle mark in a season since 2017, when Bryson Armstrong of Kennesaw State accomplished the feat on his way to winning the Jerry Rice Award.
Wheeler became the first true freshman in CAA history to reach the 100-tackle mark in a single season and the first freshman of any kind since Gage Steele (redshirt freshman) of James Madison in 2013.
In 2018, three of the Spiders' top four tacklers came from the linebacking corps. Junior Billy Caughell was second on the team with 74 tackles, while senior Justin Rubin was third with 70, despite both playing just 10 games. Senior Dale Matthews Jr. was fourth with 54 tackles and had two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown at Virginia.
In 2017, Wood led Justin Rubin to Third Team All-Colonial Athletic Association honors at the inside linebacker position. Rubin led the team with 92 total tackles, including 6.5 for loss and one sack.
Wood, a Virginia native, also spent two years at VMI prior to joining the Spiders. In his two years with the Keydets, Wood saw two of his linebackers earn All-Southern Conference honors, including the SoCon’s leading tackler, Allan Cratsenberg (126 tackles).
Before VMI, Wood spent eight seasons at his alma mater, Christopher Newport University, where he served in various capacities, including as defensive coordinator.
At CNU, Wood coached eight All-Conference selections, two All-Region honorees, and one All-America linebacker. He served as defensive coordinator from 2012-14, helping the Captains win two conference titles in three seasons. His unit ranked seventh in the country in scoring defense in 2013, allowing just 12.7 points per game, and 14th in rushing defense, allowing only 99.7 yards per game. The Captains also set a CNU single-game record by forcing eight turnovers in one game.
Wood was also in charge of the punt return unit in 2010, helping Christopher Newport finish first in the nation in return yardage with 19.4 yards per punt return. The Captains set a school and conference record for return yards in a game with 206 on just five attempts. Punt returner Kentel Noel was named a Third Team All-American.
As a player at CNU, Wood was one of the top defensive players in program history, earning All-America accolades and setting the program record for total tackles, while earning All-Conference honors all four seasons. Wood was inducted into the Christopher Newport Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011.
