Wetumpka High School has found its next head football coach and athletic director.
The Elmore County Board of Education voted to approve the hiring of Bear Woods as Wetumpka’s next head football coach and athletic director. He will replace longtime coach Tim Perry, who retired in November after 10 years of leading the Indians.
This will be Woods’ first head coaching job.
"As the principal of Wetumpka High School it is my pleasure to welcome, Coach Bear Woods, the new Athletic Director/Head Football Coach of Wetumpka," Wetumpka principal Robbie Slater said. "Coach Woods comes to us from the Canadian Football League where he spent many years as a professional athlete and assistant player coach. He is a Troy University graduate where he excelled in varsity football. He brings a wealth of knowledge to our program and will be a great addition."
Wetumpka finished both the 2021 and 2020 football seasons with a 5-6 record and lost in the first round of the playoffs. The Indians have had recent success, however, and played for the AHSAA Class 6A state championship as recently as 2017.
Woods, who has resided in Wetumpka for years, is originally from Florida but attended Troy University to play football in college. He starred at linebacker at Troy from 2006-2009, and earned numerous honors during his career.
The star linebacker was only credited with 26 tackles in his first two seasons at Troy, but really jumped onto the scene in 2008. Despite batting a foot injury for the entire season, Woods finished his junior season with 81 tackles, 9 tackles for loss and 2 sacks.
For his efforts, he was named a second-team All-Sun Belt performer. He was named Troy’s Defensive Player of the Week twice and the Sun Belt’s Defensive Player once.
His senior campaign, he tallied 82 total tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 3 sacks and 1 interception.
Following his college career, Woods was undrafted but signed with the Atlanta Falcons. After being released, he signed with the Montreal Allouettes in the Canadian Football League, where he played for six seasons and became one of the CFL’s best defensive players.
He earned CFL All-Star honors and was named the East Division’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2014 and 2016.
After being released by Montreal in 2017, Woods signed with the Toronto Argonauts. He led the Argos in tackles in his first season with the team, then suffered injuries in both 2018 and 2019.
