Marcus Wood
During each of his first four seasons on Stephens’ staff, Wood’s talented receiving corps has annually rated among the nation’s leading pass-catching and touchdown-scoring units among the NJCAA ranks. With the Lions having compiled a four-year overall record of 36-8 (.818), including a 22-2 collective division mark, EMCC’s potent passing attack has helped the Lions claim a school-first NJCAA National Championship a year ago, two MACJC State/NJCAA Region 23 titles and three MACJC North Division regular-season crowns.
Associated with an EMCC coaching staff that has sent an average of 20 players per year to the senior college level, Wood has helped mentor several standout wide receivers during the past four seasons with the Lions. From last year’s national championship team, local product Lacoltan Bester inked with the University of Oklahoma. Previously, 2009 NJCAA All-Region 23 selection Lance Lewis signed a free agent contract with the NFL’s Washington Redskins after two years at East Carolina, while 2008 NJCAA All-American Leon Berry went on to letter two seasons at Mississippi State.
With a decade’s worth of prior coaching experience within the Mississippi high school ranks, Wood spent two years (2006-07) as head football coach at Gulfport High School before coming back to the Scooba campus. Prior to that, he guided the Wildcats of Columbia High School to three straight (2003-05) Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 3A playoff appearances. Wood’s head coaching debut came during a two-year stop at Philadelphia High School.
A 16-year coaching veteran of Magnolia State gridirons, Wood earned his head coaching stripes after a successful three-year stint (1998-2000) as an assistant coach at Meridian High School. While serving as defensive coordinator, linebackers coach, special teams coordinator, and strength and conditioning coach, Wood’s stay in Meridian was highlighted by the Wildcats’ 2000 Region 3-5A co-championship and third straight Class 5A playoff appearance.
Upon graduating summa cum laude in elementary education from Mississippi State in 1996, Wood began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant coach at Holmes Community College in Goodman, Miss. He then served as a graduate assistant under head coach Jackie Sherrill at his alma mater, where he completed his master’s degree in sports administration from MSU in 1998.
Wood’s first full-time football coaching job came at East Mississippi CC under then-head coach Tom Goode. During the 1997 campaign in Scooba, Wood was the Lions’ running backs coach, along with duties in recruiting and athletic dorm supervision.
Just a few years earlier, Wood competed for two football seasons at EMCC under Goode’s direction. A strong safety, Wood garnered MACJC All-State/North Division honors and NJCAA Academic All-American accolades as a sophomore in 1993. He concluded his collegiate playing career at Georgetown College in Kentucky.
A native of Starkville, Miss., Wood has three sons – Marc, 13, Parker, 11, and Will, 8.