UIS Athletics has announced the hiring of Colin Wood as the first head coach of its new women's flag football program. Wood will begin his role in early February, leading the Prairie Stars as they build their inaugural roster and lay the foundation for a spring 2027 season of competition.

"I'm so excited to welcome Colin Wood as UIS's inaugural women's flag football head coach," said Director of Athletics Mike Hermann. "I'm confident that Colin and his wife, Sarah, will become outstanding Prairie Stars, and I welcome them to our community. As a former player and coach at North Central, Colin has played a role in building the culture for a successful program, one that won several national championships and played in the Division III title game the last six years. His vision for the program, his commitment to providing an outstanding experience for every student-athlete and his knowledge and connections in the state of Illinois set him apart in a strong field of candidates. I think he'll jump-start our program."

Wood brings a strong background in football coaching, program development, and student-athlete support, including athlete mentorship, recruiting operations, and event and camp coordination. Most recently, he spent the 2025 season with the University of Florida football program as an Assistant Special Teams Analyst, gaining experience within a Power Five program and contributing to daily operations at the highest collegiate level.

"I am honored to be part of the inaugural women's flag football team at the University of Illinois Springfield," Wood said. "Thank you to Director of Athletics Mike Hermann for the opportunity and trust to lead this program. I look forward to the journey ahead as we prepare for the spring 2027 season. I am excited to join the UIS community and begin building the most competitive women's flag football program in the state of Illinois."

Prior to his time at Florida, Wood built an accomplished resume at North Central College, joining the Cardinals' staff in the fall of 2020 as a defensive graduate assistant. Ahead of the 2022 season, he was promoted to a full-time role as special teams coordinator and cornerbacks coach, while also serving as the program's academic coordinator. In that capacity, Wood worked closely with student-athletes, coaches, and academic support staff to ensure success both on the field and in the classroom.

Wood played a key role in North Central's undefeated 2022 NCAA Division III national championship run. That season, the Cardinals ranked first among all 240 Division III teams in points scored by kicking, 17th nationally in net punting, and 18th in kickoff coverage.

Wood also gained coaching experience at the high school level as an assistant football coach at West Aurora High School during the 2019 season, where he supported player development, practice planning, and game-day operations.

A native of Elgin, Ill., Wood is a graduate of North Central College, earning his bachelor's degree in physical education and secondary education in 2019, followed by a master's degree in sports leadership in 2022. As a student-athlete, he was a four-year member of the Cardinals' football program and served as a student assistant coach during his senior season, contributing to North Central's first national championship team in 2019.

Women's flag football is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country and is part of the NCAA's Emerging Sports for Women program. Within the Great Lakes Valley Conference, two member institutions, including UIS, are actively working to launch programs as the sport continues to gain momentum nationwide.

UIS recently announced the hiring of interim assistant coach Jim Klein, a longtime UIS faculty member and Fighting Illini football alumnus, to support the program during its inaugural phase.

With experience spanning championship-level football and academic coordination, as well as a strong background in athlete mentorship, Wood steps into the role poised to lead UIS flag football as the program begins its first chapter.

UIS Athletics will host a welcome reception for head coach Colin Wood upon his arrival on campus on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 1:00 p.m. in TRAC. The community is invited to attend and welcome Coach Wood as he begins leading the Prairie Stars' women's flag football program.