Jermaine Woods enters his second season as the Norfolk State women’s basketball head coach in 2026-27 after being named the program’s seventh head coach on April 7, 2025.
A Norfolk native and NSU alum, Woods brings more than 14 years of collegiate coaching experience, including key roles at multiple Power Four programs. He has built a strong reputation for player development, recruiting, and elevating programs.
In his first season at the helm, Woods guided the Spartans to an 18-15 record, a fifth consecutive appearance in the MEAC Championship game, and the program’s second-ever berth in the WNIT. Under his leadership, Norfolk State produced MEAC Defensive Player of the Year Jasha Clinton, All-MEAC First Team selection Da’Brya Clark, and All-MEAC Second Team honorees Clinton and Anjanae Richardson.
Woods quickly established a defensive identity, leading Norfolk State to rank among the nation’s best in several categories, including second in field goal percentage defense (33.8), third in 3-point field goal percentage defense (25.5), 10th in steals per game (12.4), 21st in blocks per game (5.0), and 23rd in turnovers forced per game (20.8).
Prior to Norfolk State, Woods spent three seasons as head coach at Coppin State, where he orchestrated a turnaround that resulted in the program’s winningest season in over a decade and a WNIT appearance. The Eagles also secured a postseason victory over Colgate, marking just the second postseason win in program history.
During his tenure at Coppin State, Woods coached four All-MEAC First Team selections, one All-MEAC Second Team honoree, two MEAC Defensive Players of the Year, and a Sixth Player of the Year.
Woods previously served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Wake Forest, Old Dominion, and Virginia Tech. At Wake Forest, he helped lead the Demon Deacons to back-to-back ACC Tournament wins over North Carolina and Virginia Tech, while securing the program’s first winning season in five years during the 2016-17 campaign.
At Old Dominion, he helped assemble a top-100 ESPN recruit as part of a highly regarded 2016 class that ranked among the top 45 nationally and was the highest-rated in both Virginia and Conference USA.
Woods began his collegiate coaching career at Virginia Tech, where he contributed to a recruiting class ranked No. 19 nationally by ESPNW, marking the highest in program history at the time.
As a player, Woods began his career at Belmont Abbey before transferring to Christopher Newport, where he earned D3hoops.com All-America honors and was a two-time All-South Region selection. He was also named South Region Newcomer of the Year and set the program’s 3-point shooting record in consecutive seasons.
Following graduation from Norfolk State in 2011, Woods gained additional experience coaching at the high school and AAU levels. He resides in Norfolk with his wife, Natasha, and their two children, Jeremiah and Kerrington.
| Jermaine Woods Coaching Record |
| Year |
University |
Record |
Pct. |
Conference |
Record |
Pct. |
Finish |
Postseason |
| 2022-23 |
Coppin State |
8-22 |
.267 |
MEAC |
5-9 |
.357 |
T-5th |
MEAC Quarterfinals |
| 2023-24 |
Coppin State |
12-18 |
.400 |
MEAC |
8-6 |
.571 |
T-4th |
MEAC Semifinals |
| 2024-25 |
Coppin State |
19-15 |
.559 |
MEAC |
8-6 |
.571 |
T-3rd |
MEAC Semifinals/ WINT Second Round |
| 2025-26 |
Norfolk State |
18-15 |
.545 |
MEAC |
11-3 |
.786 |
T-2nd |
MEAC Championship/ WNIT First Round |
| Total |
CSU/NSU |
57-70 |
.440 |
MEAC |
32-24 |
.571 |
|
|
