Gordon Wood (American Football Coach) - Legacy

Legacy

Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant of Alabama was once asked why he left Texas A&M for the University of Alabama. Bryant said, “I left Texas A&M because my school called me. Mama called, and when Mama calls, then you just have to come running." Bryant had played at Alabama from 1931-1934. Later, Bryant was again asked why he left A&M, and he replied, “I had to leave Texas. As long as Gordon Wood was there, I could never be the best coach in the state.”

Wood is remembered throughout the coaching realms as always being a student of football. Former Dallas Cowboys' head coach, Bill Parcells, once told the story of how Wood drove five hours each day for weeks just to watch his Texas Tech linebackers practice. Baylor's former head coach, Grant Teaff, said that Wood once spent the night in his film room just to ask how a particular play had been run. He had also been a major opponent to the “no pass, no play” laws of the early 1980s. Wood hardly lost any players after the laws had been passed.

After his retirement, Wood stayed very active in the coaches associations he had become involved with over the years. He gave an abundant number of speeches and is notable for being one of Grant Teaff's Master Coaches in 2002. Over the years, Wood developed several medical conditions including skin tumors, artificial hips, a stroke, and having triple bypass surgery in 1990. He attempted to keep up with his hobbies, but over the years his conditions would no longer allow him to do so. The only hobby Wood would never give up is football. Even after retirement, he would travel across the state to watch high school teams compete on the gridiron. He watched many high school games vigorously until he died in December 2003. Coach Wood suffered from a heart attack and died at the age of 89.