Mike Woodley (2005) - Hall of Fame

Mike Woodley

Induction:
2005
Class:
1974

A four-year letter winner in football at UNI, Mike Woodley's list of accomplishments is outstanding to say the least.

Woodley graduated from UNI in 1974 with a degree in physical education. Starting at free safety for most of his career, he was a three-time first team all-conference player (1971-73), and a second team all-American in 1973. He was voted captain of the Panthers' football squad both his junior and senior seasons. He led the team in interceptions all four years. At the time of his induction, he held UNIÕs record for career interceptions with 20. Woodley also was a staple on the special teams, leading the team in kick returns in 1972 and 1973 as well as punt returns in 1971, 1972 and 1973.

Woodley was a dominating three-sport athlete coming out of high school, and one heck of a jumper. At Waterloo (Iowa) East, he once jumped just under 6-2, a head above his height of 5-9. He excelled at football at UNI, but he didn't give up any other sports. He was a member of the Panther basketball team in the 1972-73 season. He played AAU basketball, as well, in his off-season, earning MVP honors at one tournament. He played semi-pro baseball for 12 years starting in 1970. There also was a short stint in a semi-pro football league in 1974-1975.

In 1975, Woodley was accepted as a graduate assistant at the University of Iowa, coaching with a number of Division I coaches, including Iowa State's Dan McCarney. In 1976, he got his first taste as a head coach when he accepted a position as the head football and baseball coach in Alamagordo, N.M. He returned home after three years to coach at Waterloo East, both baseball and football from 1977-1979. One of his most prolific underlings was Reggie Roby, a former all-American at Iowa and former all-pro for the Miami Dolphins.

Woodley took over as head football coach at Osage (Iowa) High School in 1979. In his five years at the helm, he recorded only four losses against 33 wins. In 1980, he received Teacher and Coach of the Year honors. In the 1983, he moved to Fort Dodge (Iowa) High School where he coached seven years. In 1989, he received a call from St. Ambrose College, where he spent two years as an offensive coordinator before becoming head coach in 1991. Woodley spent three years at St. Ambrose, bringing back a winning tradition and giving the Fighting Bees their first winning season in six years. In 1994, he decided to return to the high school roots, and took over the leading role at West Des Moines (Iowa) Valley High School. In his only year at Valley, he won the conference championship and ended with a 7-2 record. After the season, he got a call from his old friend McCarney who asked him to be an assistant at Iowa State. Woodley spent nine years as the Cyclone's assistant, three years as a linebackers coach, a tight end coach four years and his last year as an administrative assistant.

After so many years as an assistant, Woodley was itching to become a head coach again, and when a Class 5A Texas high school called, he couldn't resist. In 2003, he was inducted into the Iowa Football Coaches Hall of Fame.