MANHATTAN, Kan. – Marcus Woodson, an accomplished secondary coach with 21 years of experience, has been hired as Kansas State’s co-defensive coordinator working with the defensive backs, head coach Collin Klein announced Monday.
Woodson arrives in Manhattan after spending the last three seasons on staff at Arkansas, serving as the Razorbacks’ co-defensive coordinator.
“My family and I are incredibly excited to join the Kansas State family,” said Woodson, who crossed paths with K-State defensive coordinator Jordan Peterson when the duo worked together at Fresno State in 2014 and 2015. “I am grateful for the opportunity to pour into our players and help build something special here in Manhattan.”
This will be Woodson’s first stint in the Big 12 having previously spent five seasons in the SEC and three in the ACC.
“Marcus is a great addition to our defensive staff,” said Klein. “He is of high character, hard working and a winner. I am excited for him to help lead our defense and develop our secondary.”
In his first season in Fayetteville, Woodson helped the Arkansas secondary to its best pass defense in 12 seasons, allowing 202.8 yards per game. It ranked 31st nationally that season, a 99-spot improvement from the previous year. As a whole, Arkansas allowed its fewest yards per game in a decade (357.2), while Woodson’s secondary also contributed to the Razorbacks’ national-leading five defensive touchdowns.
Year two at Arkansas saw Woodson help the Hogs open the season with their first shutout in six seasons in addition to road victories at Auburn and Mississippi State. Against the Tigers, Woodson saw the secondary pick off a season-high four passes and break up six others, while they picked off a pair of passes against the Bulldogs.
Woodson joined the Arkansas staff after spending three seasons at Florida State as the Seminoles’ defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordinator. In 2022, he tutored a unit that helped the Seminoles rank fourth in the nation by allowing only 165.4 passing yards per game. Woodson coached safety Jammie Robinson to his second-straight All-ACC First Team honor in 2022 as he led Florida State with 99 tackles. It was the second-straight year Robinson paced the defense in stops as he had 84 tackles and an ACC-best four interceptions in 2021.
Robinson was the latest in a line of Woodson pupils to be selected in the NFL Draft when he was taken in the fifth round by Carolina in 2023. It was the seventh time in a four-year span a Woodson product was selected, including 2020 first-round selection Noah Igbinoghene, who was the 30th overall pick by the Miami Dolphins after Woodson coached him through move from wide receiver to defensive back upon his arrival at Auburn in 2018.
Florida State had eight different defenders grab at least one interception and force 20 total takeaways in 2021. FSU picked off at least one pass in eight-straight games to end the year, the longest streak in the nation to finish out the 2021 season and tied for the longest streak in the country at any point during that year.
During the 2020 season, Woodson’s defensive backfield at Florida State was responsible for 10 takeaways and added four forced fumbles. He helped continue the development of All-ACC First Team selection Asante Samuel Jr. into one of the nation’s premiere defensive backs. Samuel finished the season by leading all active ACC defenders with 29 career pass breakups before being selected in the second-round of the NFL Draft pick by the Los Angeles Chargers.
Woodson went to Florida State from Auburn where the Tigers won 17 games over the 2018 and 2019 seasons. In 2019 as the co-defensive coordinator, Woodson helped the Tigers rank eighth nationally in third down defense (29.9%) and red zone defense (71.8%), while he coached safety Jeremiah Dinson to All-SEC Second Team honors. The year prior, the Tigers returned three interceptions for touchdowns – the ninth-highest total in the nation – while they ranked 14th in the country in scoring defense (19.2 points allowed per game).
Woodson headed to The Plains after two seasons at Memphis coaching the Tigers’ defensive backs. Memphis won 18 games over the two seasons, forcing a combined 60 takeaways, the second-highest total in the nation during that span. The Tigers picked off 32 passes in Woodson’s two seasons and were one of only six teams in the country to record at least 16 interceptions in both 2016 and 2017.
Prior to joining the Memphis staff, Woodson coached defensive backs at Fresno State in 2014 and 2015. Woodson helped lead the Bulldogs to the 2014 Mountain West Conference Championship Game and a berth in the Hawai’i Bowl and along the way coached safety Derron Smith to All-Mountain West Conference First Team accolades before being selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
From 2009 through 2013, Woodson coached defensive backs and was the recruiting coordinator at Charleston Southern – tutoring five all-conference defensive backs – while he added defensive passing game coordinator duties for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. He began his coaching career at Millsaps College where he was the defensive backs coach from 2005 through 2008. The Majors won three consecutive conference championships, including an 11-1 record and No. 12 final ranking in 2008.
Woodson was a two-year starting safety at Ole Miss prior to his playing career being cut short by an injury just before his senior season of 2003. During his time as a player, the Rebels advanced to four bowl games, including the Cotton Bowl, the Music City Bowl and two trips to the Independence Bowl. He went to Ole Miss after helping lead Moss Point High School to two state titles.
A native of Moss Point, Mississippi, Woodson obtained his bachelor’s degree in political science with an emphasis in criminal justice from the University of Mississippi in 2003, and he was selected for the Senior Leadership Unity Council.
Woodson and his wife, Chastity, have two sons, Carter and Bryce.
THE MARCUS WOODSON FILE
Hometown: Moss Point, Mississippi
High School: Moss Point
College: Ole Miss – Bachelor’s degree in political science (2003)
Family: Wife: Chastity; Children: Carter, Bryce
Playing Career: Ole Miss (safety), 1999-2002
MARCUS WOODSON’S COACHING CAREER
2005-08, Millsaps College (Defensive Backs)
2009-11, Charleston Southern (Defensive Backs/Recruiting Coordinator)
2012-13, Charleston Southern (Defensive Backs/Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Recruiting Coordinator)
2014-15, Fresno State (Defensive Backs)
2016-17, Memphis (Defensive Backs)
2018, Auburn (Defensive Backs)
2019, Auburn (Defensive backs/Recruiting Coordinator)
2020-22, Florida State (Defensive Backs/Defensive Pass Game Coordinator)
2023-25, Arkansas (Co-Defensive Coordinator)