Coaches

Joe Woods enters his 8th season with the Vikings and 10th coaching in the NFL in 2013. The Vikings secondary improved by leaps and bounds in 2012 with the benefit of a healthy core group and infusion of young talent.

The 2012 Vikings defense raised its game down the stretch as the team won the final 4 games to finish 10-6 and earn a Wild Card playoff berth.

The Vikings DBs were led by veteran CB Antoine Winfield and rookie S Harrison Smith who tied for the team lead with 3 INTs each with Smith returning a pair of the picks for scores to tie the Vikings rookie record. Smith ranked 2nd on the team with 129 tackles and Winfield tied his career-best and Vikings CB-record with 110 stops. Smith earned All-Rookie honors and was joined by fellow rookie CB Josh Robinson who started 6 games during the year. Smith was the 1st Vikings DB to earn All-Rookie since Orlando Thomas in 1995.

 The 2011 season tested the depth of the Vikings secondary, as injuries contributed to 11 different DBs starting throughout the year as Woods was forced with shuffling the lineup frequently. Third-year safety Jamarca Sanford finished with 2 INTs in a Week 5 win vs. Arizona, which tied him for 2nd in the NFL for most in a game by a safety in 2011. Sanford  led Vikings DBs and finished 3rd on the team with 118 total tackles.

Leading the charge in 2010 for Woods’ DBs was 3-time Pro Bowler Winfield. The 12-year veteran was selected to his 3rd consecutive Pro Bowl after setting the Vikings record for tackles by a cornerback with 110, which was good for 3rd on the team behind linebackers Chad Greenway and E.J. Henderson. The Vikings DBs accounted for 9 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries and 2 forced fumbles. The Vikings defense also limited big plays, allowing just 49 plays of 20+ yards which was 4th best in the NFL.     

The Vikings toughness in the back end has been a contributing factor in the team building a reputation as one of the most opportunistic defenses in the NFL. The Vikings ranked #6 in total defense in 2009, the 2nd straight year achieving the mark. The back-to-back top 10 defensive rankings were the 1st time by a Vikings defense since 1993-94. The defense played a key part in the Vikings back-to-back NFC North titles and winning the most games (22) in the NFC over the 2008-09 seasons.

In 2009, the Vikings DBs had their depth tested when Winfield was sidelined by injury for 6 games and starting SS Tyrell Johnson missed a game. Sapp and Karl Paymah filled in for Winfield and the team went 4-2 without the emotional leader of the backfield. A pair of rookies, Allen and Sanford, started games at nickel back and in place of Johnson respectively and showed their talents for the future. In a breakout season, Griffin led the team with 4 INTs.

Winfield was honored in 2008 with his 1st Pro Bowl berth as a 10-year veteran, joining Darren Sharper in the backfield as recent Vikings to be named to the NFC all-star team. Winfield’s career year in 2008 highlighted a group that produced INTs by 7 different players.

The 2008 DBs had to battle injuries and overcome adversity in helping the Vikings rank #6 in the NFL in total defense, the highest finish since 1994. Despite the personnel shuffling, the Vikings DBs helped the total defense jump from #20 in 2007 to #6 in 2008. Each of the 6 top Vikings DBs intercepted passes in 2008 and showed their value in run support. 

In 2007, all 4 regular starters in the Vikings secondary scored TDs, 3 by INT return and 1 on a fumble recovery. Woods led a defensive backfield that featured Sharper earning his 4th career Pro Bowl trip. The rock of the unit, Winfield, built on his reputation as the best tackling CB in the NFL and scored on an INT-return in the season opener vs. Atlanta. Against the NY Giants, the Vikings set a team record as they returned 3 INTs for TDs, including a 93-yard return by Dwight Smith that ranks as the 4th-longest INT return in Vikings’ history.   

The Vikings ended the 2006 season ranked #8 in the NFL in total defense. The Vikings DBs had 3 players tie for the team lead with 4 INTs each- Smith, Sharper and Winfield. The trio also ranked 2nd, 4th and 5th on the team in tackles.

In 2006, Woods helped develop a trio of rookies- Griffin, S Greg Blue and CB Charles Gordon- who started a combined 10 games. Griffin earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance at Detroit (12/10/06), becoming the 5th Vikings CB to earn the award and only the 2nd since 1992.

In Tampa, Woods coached with 2006 Vikings defensive coordinator and current Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, fielding top-5 defenses in each of Woods’ 2 seasons.

In 2005, Tampa Bay led the NFL in total defense, allowing 277.8 yards per game while CB Ronde Barber and LB Derrick Brooks earned Pro Bowl berths for the 2nd consecutive season.  Barber set a Tampa Bay single-season record for most tackles by a CB with 120 and he led the team with 7 INTs.  In 2004, Woods was part of a defensive staff that helped the Bucs finish 5th in the NFL in total defense and 1st in pass defense.   

Prior to joining the Buccaneers, Woods was the DBs coach at Western Michigan for 3 seasons (2001-03) and spent 3 seasons (1998-2000) on the staff at Hofstra where the team made a pair of trips to the 1-AA playoff quarterfinals. 

Woods spent a season at Kent State University (1997) as DBs coach prior to joining the staff at Hofstra.  He also coached the DBs at Grand Valley State (1994-97), ILBs at Northwestern State University in the spring of 1994, and was a graduate assistant at Eastern Michigan (1993-94).  Woods entered coaching in 1992 at Muskingum College.

Woods was a 4-year letterman at safety and a captain as a senior at Illinois State. He earned 1st-team All-Gateway honors in 1991 and earned a degree in criminal justice in 1992. 

Woods was born in North Vandergrift, PA.  He and his wife, Ellen, have daughters, Brianna and Danari and son, Geno.