Joe Woods enters his second season as the Saints' defensive coordinator in 2024. A 32-year coaching veteran, including the last 20 in the National Football League, Woods enters his seventh NFL season as a defensive coordinator.
With Woods' influence in his first season with the club in 2023, the Saints made great strides getting their hands on the football and taking it away. New Orleans ranked 31st in the NFL in 2022 and forced 29 turnovers in 2023, ranked fourth, with CB Paulson Adebo leading the team with six. New Orleans was 5-1 when they forced at least two defensive turnovers in a game. The Black and Gold also increased their interception total from seven to 18, tied for third in the league with Adebo and S Tyrann Mathieu leading the club with four apiece. The team led the NFL with 99 passes defensed, with the Saints the only team to have three players ranked in the top ten individually with at least 14, including Adebo with 18, third in the league. The Saints ranked eighth in opponent points per game, tenth in opponent net passing yards per game and fourth in the league in third down defense after tying for 24th a year earlier.
Woods came to New Orleans after serving as defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns from 2020-22. In 2022, Woods led a Browns defensive unit that had a constantly-evolving cast of players. Despite the changes, the Browns tied for fourth in the NFL in passes defensed (85) and ranked fifth in opponent net passing yards per game (196.2 ypg.) and helped Cleveland win four of its last seven games after a 3-7 start, surrendering 17 points or fewer in five of the contests. In a Week 17 24-10 victory over the Washington Commanders that eliminated Washington from the playoff chase, Cleveland held them to 260 net yards and recorded three interceptions.
Veteran contributors also enjoyed standout campaigns and others made strides as young professionals under Woods' leadership in Cleveland. DE Myles Garrett tied his own team record with 16 sacks, first set in 2021, tied for second-most in the NFL. He became the only player to record 16 takedowns in 2021 and 2022, as he was selected to the Pro Bowl and as an AP second-team All-Pro. S Grant Delpit showed significant growth in his second season, when he led the team in interceptions (four) and tackles (101), as one of only three NFL players to have at least four picks and 100 stops. CB Denzel Ward led the team with five takeaways, including two fumble returns for touchdowns and tied for the team lead in passes defensed (15). Rookie CB Martin Emerson Jr. tied Ward for the team lead in pass breakups and a Pro Football Journal All-Rookie, as Cleveland was one of only two teams to have two players with at least 15 passes defensed.
Under Woods' supervision in 2021, the Browns finished fifth in the NFL in total defense, marking just the third time since 1970 the team ranked in the top-five and the club's highest finish since 1987, one of just three NFL teams to finish in the top-12 in total defense, run defense and pass defense. Garrett earned first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors with 16 takedowns and Ward earned his second career Pro Bowl selection.
Upon arriving in Cleveland in 2020, Woods helped the opportunistic Browns reach the playoffs for the first time since 2002, as they led the NFL with six red zone takeaways and tied for second with 17 forced fumbles. The Browns were 6-0 when they forced two or more turnovers in a game and 8-1 with at least one takeaway. In the Wild Card Playoff victory at Pittsburgh, the Browns recorded five takeaways, including four interceptions. The club finished ninth in run defense after finishing 30th in 2019, prior to Woods' arrival. Garrett earned first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors as he ranked among the league leaders in strip sacks (tied for second with four), forced fumbles (tied for third with four), fumble recoveries (tied for third with two) and sacks (sixth with 12). Along with DE Olivier Vernon (nine), the Browns were one of just four teams to have a pair of teammates each record at least nine sacks. Ward finished tied for second in the NFL with 18 passes defensed, despite only playing in 12 games.
Prior to his tenure in Cleveland, Woods served as defensive backs/pass game coordinator for the Super Bowl LIV finalist San Francisco 49ers in 2019, when they held opponents to 169.2 passing yards per game, ranking first in the NFL in 2019 and the lowest total allowed by an NFL team since 2009. San Francisco also led the league with 21 forced fumbles and finished in the top-eight in nine other major defensive categories.
Woods spent four seasons in Denver from 2015-18, where he served as defensive backs coach his first two seasons and as defensive coordinator his final two.
Under Woods' tutelage in 2018, LB Von Miller and rookie LB Bradley Chubb combined for 26.5 sacks, as Miller's 14.5 were the second-most in a single season in his career and Chubb's 12.0 set the Broncos franchise rookie record. Miller was selected to his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl, as he reached double-digit takedown totals for the fifth consecutive season, also adding four takeaways.
The 2017 Broncos finished third in the NFL in total defense and joined the Minnesota Vikings as the only two teams to rank in the top five in run defense (89.4 ypg.) and passing defense (200.6 ypg.) that season. Woods' defense also held each of its opponents to less than 300 net yards passing. Woods helped Miller lead the team with ten sacks as he was selected to the Pro Bowl and PFW/PFWA All-NFL. LB Brandon Marshall led the team with 106 tackles at inside linebacker and added a career-high three sacks.
Prior to his promotion to defensive coordinator, Woods coached Denver's defensive backs to first-place rankings in the NFL in opponent net passing yards per game allowed in both 2015 (199.6) and 2016 (185.8). The Broncos also held opponents to the lowest completion percentage (57.8), yards per attempt (5.99) and passer rating (74.3) during those two seasons. From 2015-16, the Broncos secondary led the NFL in defensive touchdowns (seven).
Each of Denver's four starting defensive backs made at least one Pro Bowl playing for Woods from 2015-16, including CBs Chris Harris Jr. (2015-16) and Aquib Talib (2015-16), who were also named first-team All-Pro selection in 2016, S T.J. Ward (2015) and S Darian Stewart (2016) also earned Pro Bowl honors while playing for Woods.
In 2014, Woods tutored the Oakland Raiders secondary. He worked with Pro Football Hall of Fame DB Charles Woodson, who led the team with 160 tackles (105 solo) and four interceptions (35 yds.) in his 17th NFL season.
Prior to his season in Oakland, Woods spent eight seasons coaching defensive backs for the Minnesota Vikings (2006-13). The Vikings finished in the NFL's top 10 defenses in four of his first five years with the team, winning consecutive NFC North Division titles from 2008-09 and making an appearance in the NFC Championship game following the 2009 season. In 2013, Woods was instrumental in the development of first-round CB Xavier Rhodes, who appeared in 13 games (six starts) for the club and set a Vikings rookie record with 23 passes defensed. CB Antoine Winfield earned all three of his career Pro Bowl selections (2008-10) playing for Woods, recording 14 interceptions and 58 passes defensed in his six years with the Vikings.
Woods was brought to Minnesota in 2006 along with defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin, who worked side-by-side with him as a secondary coach in Tampa Bay from 2004-05. With Woods serving as a defensive quality control coach, he assisted Tomlin in coaching a talented secondary led by CB Ronde Barber, who would earn first-team AP All-Pro both seasons and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2023. In 2005, the Buccaneers boasted the NFL's top defensive unit (277.8 ypg.)—including the league's sixth-ranked pass defense (183.1 ypg)—while finishing 11-5 and capturing the NFC South Division title. Barber set a team record for most tackles (120) by a cornerback and led the club with five interceptions. Tampa Bay ranked first in the NFL in pass defense (161.2 ypg.) in Woods' first season with the club in 2004 and limited opposing quarterbacks to a 77.2 passer rating. Barber was selected to his second career Pro Bowl after finishing the season as one of just four NFL cornerbacks to record at least three interceptions and three sacks.
Before joining the Bucs, Woods was the defensive backs coach for three seasons (2001-03) at Western Michigan. He coached the same position with Hofstra (1998-2000), helping the school make consecutive trips to the 1-AA playoff quarterfinals.
Woods also served as defensive backs coach at Kent State University (1997) and Grand Valley State University (1994-96) following a stint coaching linebackers during the spring of 1994 at Northwestern State University.
He began his coaching career as a defensive backs coach at Muskingum College (1992) and moved on to become a graduate assistant coach at Eastern Michigan University a year later (1993).
Woods lettered four times as a cornerback and safety at Illinois State, graduating in 1992 with a degree in criminal justice. He was team captain as a senior in 1991 and went on to earn first-team All-Gateway Conference following his final season.
Born on June 25, 1970, in North Vandergrift, Va., Woods and his wife, Ellen, have two daughters and one son.
PLAYING CAREER: Illinois State, 1988-91.
COACHING CAREER: Muskigum College, 1992; Eastern Michigan, 1993; Northwestern State, 1994; Grand Valley State, 1994-96; Kent State, 1997; Hofstra, 1998-2000; Western Michigan, 2001-03; Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2004-05; Minnesota Vikings, 2006-13; Oakland Raiders, 2014; Denver Broncos, 2015-18; San Francisco 49ers, 2019; Cleveland Browns, 2020-22; New Orleans Saints, 2023-.
