Cougars Announce Coordinator Hires
1/16/2024 8:59:00 AM | Football
Kevin Barbay, Shiel Wood to lead Houston offense, defense in 2024
HOUSTON – University of Houston Football has hired Kevin Barbay as Offensive Coordinator and Shiel Wood as Defensive Coordinator, the first two formalized coaching appointments under first-year Head Coach Willie Fritz, pending approval by the UH System Board of Regents.
Barbay comes to Houston after spending the 2023 season as Mississippi State's Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach. There, the Bulldogs rushed for 1,761 yards – the program's most in four seasons. Mississippi State produced 61 plays of 20+ yards. He also tutored SEC All-Freshman Quarterback Chris Parson who appeared in a pair of games for the Bulldogs.
Over his last five seasons at Mississippi State (2023), Appalachian State (2022) and Central Michigan (2019-21), Barbay, who served as Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers (2019-20) and Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks (2021-23), helped his offenses produce 31 games with 30+ points and 19 games with 500+ yards.
Wood comes to Houston after one season as Tulane's Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach, a post he assumed during the spring. The 2024 season will be Wood's 15th coaching Division I football and 11th on the defensive side of the ball.
In all four seasons as Defensive Coordinator or Co-Defensive Coordinator, his units have ranked inside the Top 25 nationally in rushing yards allowed – including tops in The American in 2023 and first in the Southern Conference in 2017 – and Top 35 for total defense – including second in The American in 2022 and 2023 as well as second in the Southern Conference in 2017.
THE BARBAY FILE
• From 2021-22, Barbay's offenses combined to averaged 448.01 yards per game – ranking in the top 20 nationally. In 2021 at Central Michigan, the Chippewas produced 500+ yards in five different games (10th nationally). In 2022, in his first season overseeing the offense at Appalachian State, the Mountaineers recorded four games with 500+ yards (19th nationally).
• Over the last three seasons (2021-23), Barbay has helped mentor an SEC All-Freshman Quarterback, MAC Offensive Player of the Year, and seven All-Sun Belt Conference offensive honorees including a pair of First Team standouts.
• In 2022, Barbay's prolific Appalachian State offense ranked inside the top 25 nationally in scoring offense (No. 23 – 34.9), passer rating (No. 19 – 155.80), yards per pass attempt (No. 18 – 8.4), yards per play (No. 22 – 6.56), rushing offense (No. 21 – 204.42) and yards per rush (No. 21 – 5.18).
• The unit racked up 21 plays of 40-plus yards (14 passing, 7 rushing), which was good for No. 8 nationally. The Mountaineers were also highly successful at limiting negative plays, ranking No. 5 nationally in percentage of negative plays allowed (8.28), according to Coaches by the Numbers. Additionally, his unit ranked No. 15 nationally in percentage of first downs plus touchdowns that came on first-down plays.
• In 2021, Central Michigan capped a 9-4 season with a bowl win against Washington State, registering 30-plus points in eight different games while averaging g 440.7 yards of total offense per game.
• CMU's Lew Nichols III led the nation with 1,848 rushing yards and scored 16 rushing touchdowns as a redshirt freshman. Through the air, the Chippewas averaged 265.4 passing yards a game while totaling 31 touchdown passes and just 10 interceptions in their 13 games.
• During the 2022 NFL Draft, CMU saw offensive linemen selected in consecutive rounds with Luke Goedeke going in the second round to Tampa Bay and Bernhard Raimann hearing his name called in the third round by Indianapolis. It marked the first time since 2010 that the Chippewas had two offensive players selected in the same draft and first time since 2007 the program had multiple offensive linemen taken in the same draft. Goedeke (pick #57) became CMU's highest offensive selection in nearly a decade.
• Hired as a full-time college football assistant at age 25 and Division I football assistant by the age of 28, Barbay also has worked at Stephen F. Austin, Florida, Colorado State and Lamar.
• Prior to the COVID-abbreviated 2020 season, Barbay helped CMU post an 8-4 regular season in 2019 and reach the MAC Championship Game as the league's West Division champion. Kalil Pimpleton and JaCorey Sullivan combined to make 139 receptions for 1,702 yards and nine touchdowns that season.
• Barbay made his debut as a college offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Stephen F. Austin in 2018, after he worked at Florida on McElwain's staff for three seasons from 2015-17. During his one season at SFA, his offense passed for 256.3 yards per game (29th in FCS).
• Barbay served as the Gators' director of player development, as he performed daily evaluations, opponent scouting, practice scheduling and roster management. Florida won back-to-back SEC East Division titles in 2015 and 2016.
• He was Colorado State's director of player personnel under McElwain in 2014 following two years as a wide receivers and special teams coach at Lamar from 2012-13. In 2013, Lamar ranked second in the FCS in punt return average (16.20), ninth in kickoff return defense (16.83) and 15th in blocked punts (2) while his wide receiver unit helped the Cardinals finish 15th in passing offense (288.0).
• A native of Nederland, Texas, Barbay played collegiately for MVP-winning Super Bowl quarterback Doug Williams at Grambling State. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in exercise science and fitness management from Lamar in 2005 and a Master of Science in education-sport management from Baylor in 2007.
THE WOOD FILE
• In two of the last three seasons, Wood's defenses have ranked inside the Top 20 nationally in total defense, scoring defense and turnovers forced. In each of the last two seasons, his units ranked either first or second in their respective leagues (The American/Sun Belt) in total defense, scoring defense and turnovers forced.
• In his four seasons as Defensive Coordinator or Co-Defensive Coordinator, Wood has helped Wofford (2017), Army West Point (2021), Troy (2022) and Tulane (2023) to a combined 42-12 record including three bowl games, two conference titles and one FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals run.
• Between the 2022-23 seasons, he tutored 17 All-Conference honorees including seven First-Team members and the 2022 Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year in linebacker Carlton Martial.
• In 2023, under the direction of Wood, Tulane led The American Athletic Conference in passes intercepted (17) and turnovers forced (25). The Green Wave's 25 turnovers gained entering bowl season ranked second nationally and marked the program's most in seven seasons (27 in 2016).
• The team ranked inside the Top 30 nationally in eight statistical categories including turnovers forced (25; 2nd) passes intercepted (17; 3rd), rushing defense (93.5; 7th), scoring defense (18.9; 19th), fourth-down conversion percentage defense (42.9%; 24th), team sacks/game (2.62; 26th), tackles for loss (6.3; 30th) and fumbles recovered (8; 30th).
• Three defensive players — Darius Hodges, Patrick Jenkins, and Jarius Monroe — earned selections to the All-American Athletic Conference First Team as the Green Wave matched UTSA for the most first-team defensive selections. Defensive back Lance Robinson led The American in interceptions (4), a mark that ranked 16th nationally, while the Green Wave were one of three schools (Liberty, Texas) with 3+ players with 3+ interceptions each.
• Prior to Tulane, Wood was Troy's Defensive Coordinator, while also working with safeties, during 2022. There, he oversaw a unit that paved the way for Troy's 12-2 season and first ranking in the final AP Poll at No. 19 after winning the Sun Belt Conference Championship over Coastal Carolina and the Cure Bowl over No. 22 UTSA.
• The Trojan defensive unit ranked eighth nationally in turnovers gained, eighth in scoring defense, 14th in sacks, 19th in total defense and 24th in rushing defense, while finishing ranked in the top five in the Sun Belt Conference for scoring defense, total defense, sacks and interceptions.
• Martial earned All-America honors for the fourth season after finishing third nationally, averaging 11.2 tackles per game and as the all-time leader in career tackles at the FBS level.
• Prior to serving as the defensive coordinator at Troy, Wood spent two seasons at Army West Point (2020-21), serving as Co-Defensive Coordinator while working with safeties in 2021 after working as inside linebackers coach in 2020.
• During the 2021 campaign, Wood helped guide Army to a 9-4 record, capped by a victory over Missouri in the Armed Forces Bowl. Army ranked 17th nationally, holding opponents to just 328.4 yards per game and 17th allowing only 117.2 yards per game on the ground. The Black Knights were also one of the fewest penalized teams in the country, finishing third with just 3.85 penalties per game.
• Army's defense specialized in getting off the field and limited opposing offenses to just 24:28 time of possession each game, tied for the lowest in the country.
• Additionally, linebacker Andre Carter, who earned Second Team All-America honors, finished the season with 15.5 sacks tying him for the nation's lead with Alabama's Will Anderson entering the CFP Semifinals.
• In his first year at West Point, Wood helped Army to a 9-3 record while finishing as the top defense in the country at just 275 total yards allowed per game. The linebackers chipped in as part of a run-stopping unit which finished 18th in the country, allowing only 114.6 yards per game on the ground against a schedule full of run-heavy offenses. The Black Knights also ranked in the country's top five in scoring defense (2nd - 14.83 ppg), red zone defense (2nd - .645 scoring pct.) and passing yards allowed (2nd - 160.8 ypg).
• Under Wood's guidance Army boasted one of the best interior linebacking groups in the nation, led by Second-Team All-American Jon Rhattigan.
• Wood, a former assistant coach at Georgia Tech and defensive coordinator at Wofford, was Georgia State's inside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator during the 2019 season.
• During the 2019 season, Georgia State matched its school record for victories with seven. The Panthers posted the third-best improvement nationally with a five-game increase in wins over the previous season.
• Before his stint at Georgia State, Wood coached Georgia Tech's safeties and assisted with special teams, helping the Yellow Jackets to a bowl berth.
• As Wofford's defensive coordinator in 2017, Wood directed a unit that led the Southern Conference in rushing defense (121.7 ypg) while ranking second in the league and No. 26 in the FCS in total defense, allowing just 326.7 yards per game. The defensive effort helped lead Wofford to a 10-3 overall record, the outright SoCon championship (7-1 in league play) and an FCS quarterfinal appearance, where the Terriers fell to eventual national champion North Dakota State.
• Wood spent a total of eight seasons as an assistant coach at Wofford, coaching the Terriers' wide receivers (2007-10) and safeties (2011-12, 2016-17) and served as recruiting coordinator (2016-17) in addition to his one season as defensive coordinator.
• In his first two years on the defensive side of the ball (2011-12), the Terriers ranked 17th and ninth in the nation in total defense, respectively. As the Terriers' wide receivers coach (2007-10), he coached two student-athletes who went on to play in the National Football League, including Carolina Panthers wideout Brenton Bersin.
• In all, Wofford won four SoCon titles and advanced to the FCS playoffs seven times in Wood's eight seasons on the Terriers' staff.
• Wood started coaching in 2006 at Woodruff (S.C.) High School, where he helped lead the Wolverines to a 9-3 record, regional championship and state playoff berth.
• A native of Spartanburg, S.C., Wood played wide receiver at Wofford from 2001-05 and was the leading receiver on the Terriers' 2003 squad that won the SoCon championship and advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA semifinals.
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Barbay comes to Houston after spending the 2023 season as Mississippi State's Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach. There, the Bulldogs rushed for 1,761 yards – the program's most in four seasons. Mississippi State produced 61 plays of 20+ yards. He also tutored SEC All-Freshman Quarterback Chris Parson who appeared in a pair of games for the Bulldogs.
Over his last five seasons at Mississippi State (2023), Appalachian State (2022) and Central Michigan (2019-21), Barbay, who served as Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers (2019-20) and Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks (2021-23), helped his offenses produce 31 games with 30+ points and 19 games with 500+ yards.
Wood comes to Houston after one season as Tulane's Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach, a post he assumed during the spring. The 2024 season will be Wood's 15th coaching Division I football and 11th on the defensive side of the ball.
In all four seasons as Defensive Coordinator or Co-Defensive Coordinator, his units have ranked inside the Top 25 nationally in rushing yards allowed – including tops in The American in 2023 and first in the Southern Conference in 2017 – and Top 35 for total defense – including second in The American in 2022 and 2023 as well as second in the Southern Conference in 2017.
THE BARBAY FILE
• From 2021-22, Barbay's offenses combined to averaged 448.01 yards per game – ranking in the top 20 nationally. In 2021 at Central Michigan, the Chippewas produced 500+ yards in five different games (10th nationally). In 2022, in his first season overseeing the offense at Appalachian State, the Mountaineers recorded four games with 500+ yards (19th nationally).
• Over the last three seasons (2021-23), Barbay has helped mentor an SEC All-Freshman Quarterback, MAC Offensive Player of the Year, and seven All-Sun Belt Conference offensive honorees including a pair of First Team standouts.
• In 2022, Barbay's prolific Appalachian State offense ranked inside the top 25 nationally in scoring offense (No. 23 – 34.9), passer rating (No. 19 – 155.80), yards per pass attempt (No. 18 – 8.4), yards per play (No. 22 – 6.56), rushing offense (No. 21 – 204.42) and yards per rush (No. 21 – 5.18).
• The unit racked up 21 plays of 40-plus yards (14 passing, 7 rushing), which was good for No. 8 nationally. The Mountaineers were also highly successful at limiting negative plays, ranking No. 5 nationally in percentage of negative plays allowed (8.28), according to Coaches by the Numbers. Additionally, his unit ranked No. 15 nationally in percentage of first downs plus touchdowns that came on first-down plays.
• In 2021, Central Michigan capped a 9-4 season with a bowl win against Washington State, registering 30-plus points in eight different games while averaging g 440.7 yards of total offense per game.
• CMU's Lew Nichols III led the nation with 1,848 rushing yards and scored 16 rushing touchdowns as a redshirt freshman. Through the air, the Chippewas averaged 265.4 passing yards a game while totaling 31 touchdown passes and just 10 interceptions in their 13 games.
• During the 2022 NFL Draft, CMU saw offensive linemen selected in consecutive rounds with Luke Goedeke going in the second round to Tampa Bay and Bernhard Raimann hearing his name called in the third round by Indianapolis. It marked the first time since 2010 that the Chippewas had two offensive players selected in the same draft and first time since 2007 the program had multiple offensive linemen taken in the same draft. Goedeke (pick #57) became CMU's highest offensive selection in nearly a decade.
• Hired as a full-time college football assistant at age 25 and Division I football assistant by the age of 28, Barbay also has worked at Stephen F. Austin, Florida, Colorado State and Lamar.
• Prior to the COVID-abbreviated 2020 season, Barbay helped CMU post an 8-4 regular season in 2019 and reach the MAC Championship Game as the league's West Division champion. Kalil Pimpleton and JaCorey Sullivan combined to make 139 receptions for 1,702 yards and nine touchdowns that season.
• Barbay made his debut as a college offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Stephen F. Austin in 2018, after he worked at Florida on McElwain's staff for three seasons from 2015-17. During his one season at SFA, his offense passed for 256.3 yards per game (29th in FCS).
• Barbay served as the Gators' director of player development, as he performed daily evaluations, opponent scouting, practice scheduling and roster management. Florida won back-to-back SEC East Division titles in 2015 and 2016.
• He was Colorado State's director of player personnel under McElwain in 2014 following two years as a wide receivers and special teams coach at Lamar from 2012-13. In 2013, Lamar ranked second in the FCS in punt return average (16.20), ninth in kickoff return defense (16.83) and 15th in blocked punts (2) while his wide receiver unit helped the Cardinals finish 15th in passing offense (288.0).
• A native of Nederland, Texas, Barbay played collegiately for MVP-winning Super Bowl quarterback Doug Williams at Grambling State. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in exercise science and fitness management from Lamar in 2005 and a Master of Science in education-sport management from Baylor in 2007.
THE WOOD FILE
• In two of the last three seasons, Wood's defenses have ranked inside the Top 20 nationally in total defense, scoring defense and turnovers forced. In each of the last two seasons, his units ranked either first or second in their respective leagues (The American/Sun Belt) in total defense, scoring defense and turnovers forced.
• In his four seasons as Defensive Coordinator or Co-Defensive Coordinator, Wood has helped Wofford (2017), Army West Point (2021), Troy (2022) and Tulane (2023) to a combined 42-12 record including three bowl games, two conference titles and one FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals run.
• Between the 2022-23 seasons, he tutored 17 All-Conference honorees including seven First-Team members and the 2022 Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year in linebacker Carlton Martial.
• In 2023, under the direction of Wood, Tulane led The American Athletic Conference in passes intercepted (17) and turnovers forced (25). The Green Wave's 25 turnovers gained entering bowl season ranked second nationally and marked the program's most in seven seasons (27 in 2016).
• The team ranked inside the Top 30 nationally in eight statistical categories including turnovers forced (25; 2nd) passes intercepted (17; 3rd), rushing defense (93.5; 7th), scoring defense (18.9; 19th), fourth-down conversion percentage defense (42.9%; 24th), team sacks/game (2.62; 26th), tackles for loss (6.3; 30th) and fumbles recovered (8; 30th).
• Three defensive players — Darius Hodges, Patrick Jenkins, and Jarius Monroe — earned selections to the All-American Athletic Conference First Team as the Green Wave matched UTSA for the most first-team defensive selections. Defensive back Lance Robinson led The American in interceptions (4), a mark that ranked 16th nationally, while the Green Wave were one of three schools (Liberty, Texas) with 3+ players with 3+ interceptions each.
• Prior to Tulane, Wood was Troy's Defensive Coordinator, while also working with safeties, during 2022. There, he oversaw a unit that paved the way for Troy's 12-2 season and first ranking in the final AP Poll at No. 19 after winning the Sun Belt Conference Championship over Coastal Carolina and the Cure Bowl over No. 22 UTSA.
• The Trojan defensive unit ranked eighth nationally in turnovers gained, eighth in scoring defense, 14th in sacks, 19th in total defense and 24th in rushing defense, while finishing ranked in the top five in the Sun Belt Conference for scoring defense, total defense, sacks and interceptions.
• Martial earned All-America honors for the fourth season after finishing third nationally, averaging 11.2 tackles per game and as the all-time leader in career tackles at the FBS level.
• Prior to serving as the defensive coordinator at Troy, Wood spent two seasons at Army West Point (2020-21), serving as Co-Defensive Coordinator while working with safeties in 2021 after working as inside linebackers coach in 2020.
• During the 2021 campaign, Wood helped guide Army to a 9-4 record, capped by a victory over Missouri in the Armed Forces Bowl. Army ranked 17th nationally, holding opponents to just 328.4 yards per game and 17th allowing only 117.2 yards per game on the ground. The Black Knights were also one of the fewest penalized teams in the country, finishing third with just 3.85 penalties per game.
• Army's defense specialized in getting off the field and limited opposing offenses to just 24:28 time of possession each game, tied for the lowest in the country.
• Additionally, linebacker Andre Carter, who earned Second Team All-America honors, finished the season with 15.5 sacks tying him for the nation's lead with Alabama's Will Anderson entering the CFP Semifinals.
• In his first year at West Point, Wood helped Army to a 9-3 record while finishing as the top defense in the country at just 275 total yards allowed per game. The linebackers chipped in as part of a run-stopping unit which finished 18th in the country, allowing only 114.6 yards per game on the ground against a schedule full of run-heavy offenses. The Black Knights also ranked in the country's top five in scoring defense (2nd - 14.83 ppg), red zone defense (2nd - .645 scoring pct.) and passing yards allowed (2nd - 160.8 ypg).
• Under Wood's guidance Army boasted one of the best interior linebacking groups in the nation, led by Second-Team All-American Jon Rhattigan.
• Wood, a former assistant coach at Georgia Tech and defensive coordinator at Wofford, was Georgia State's inside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator during the 2019 season.
• During the 2019 season, Georgia State matched its school record for victories with seven. The Panthers posted the third-best improvement nationally with a five-game increase in wins over the previous season.
• Before his stint at Georgia State, Wood coached Georgia Tech's safeties and assisted with special teams, helping the Yellow Jackets to a bowl berth.
• As Wofford's defensive coordinator in 2017, Wood directed a unit that led the Southern Conference in rushing defense (121.7 ypg) while ranking second in the league and No. 26 in the FCS in total defense, allowing just 326.7 yards per game. The defensive effort helped lead Wofford to a 10-3 overall record, the outright SoCon championship (7-1 in league play) and an FCS quarterfinal appearance, where the Terriers fell to eventual national champion North Dakota State.
• Wood spent a total of eight seasons as an assistant coach at Wofford, coaching the Terriers' wide receivers (2007-10) and safeties (2011-12, 2016-17) and served as recruiting coordinator (2016-17) in addition to his one season as defensive coordinator.
• In his first two years on the defensive side of the ball (2011-12), the Terriers ranked 17th and ninth in the nation in total defense, respectively. As the Terriers' wide receivers coach (2007-10), he coached two student-athletes who went on to play in the National Football League, including Carolina Panthers wideout Brenton Bersin.
• In all, Wofford won four SoCon titles and advanced to the FCS playoffs seven times in Wood's eight seasons on the Terriers' staff.
• Wood started coaching in 2006 at Woodruff (S.C.) High School, where he helped lead the Wolverines to a 9-3 record, regional championship and state playoff berth.
• A native of Spartanburg, S.C., Wood played wide receiver at Wofford from 2001-05 and was the leading receiver on the Terriers' 2003 squad that won the SoCon championship and advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA semifinals.
SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Football by purchasing season tickets, supporting LinkingCoogs – UH's very own NIL collective, giving to Houston Rise, and by joining 46ers and The Huddle which provides financial support directly to Houston Football for needs beyond its operating budget.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarFB on X, formerly known as Twitter, and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at Houston Cougar Football. Fans can also follow the team on Instagram at uhcougarfb.
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