Defense and special teams have been a staple of the Iowa Football program under Head Coach Kirk Ferentz. Offense has always been the biggest question mark under Ferentz, but defense and special teams have not faltered.
Coach LeVar Woods, a three-year letterman at the University of Iowa and one of the football team captains (2000), is a large part of the Hawkeye special teams unit's success. Woods took over as the special teams coordinator in 2017 after serving as the assistant special teams coordinator before that.
Ahead of the 2025-2026 season, the Big Ten Huddle is giving Woods his flowers.
Big Ten Special Teams Coordinator Rankings, per @jrs_rankings
— The Big Ten Huddle 🎙️ (@TheBigTenHuddle) June 12, 2025
Rankings are based on career and recent performance, not projections. For split roles, JR ranked the most experienced staff member.
LISTEN: https://t.co/2c0QxcAYyW pic.twitter.com/0ChmIMAApn
The Big Ten Huddle ranked Woods as the best special teams coordinator before the 2025-2026 college football season. The rankings were based on career numbers and recent performances, not projections.
Iowa special teams always perform well, which was the case again in 2024. All-American and Jet Award winner Kaden Wetjen led the nation in combined return yardage, including two touchdowns.
Iowa freshman punter Rhys Dakin earned All-American honors after averaging 44.2 yards per punt, and kicker Drew Stevens set a new school record for made field goals from 50-plus yards (19).
The Hawkeyes also led the nation in net punting yards, averaging 44.17 yards per punt.
Former Hawkeye special teams players Cooper DeJean (cornerback), Ihmir Smith-Marsette (receiver), Charlie Jones (receiver), and Tory Taylor (punter) succeeded under Woods' tutelage and have gone on to succeed in the NFL.
The Hawkeyes continue to produce All-American special teams performers, and coach Woods is a large part of the success of the special teams unit.