Sparky Woods

spong · Unread post by **spong** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 2:31 pm

Former App State head coach Sparky Woods' contract will not be renewed by VMI.

http://www.roanoke.com/sports/vmi-decli ... 13de1.html

He didn't do much at VMI but it's a very difficult school to recruit for. He had a really good run at App State with winning seasons 4 out of 5 years and 2 play-off appearances. I would love to see App State do something honor him.

proasu89 · Unread post by **proasu89** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 2:44 pm

spong wrote:Former App State head coach Sparky Woods' contract will not be renewed by VMI.

http://www.roanoke.com/sports/vmi-decli ... 13de1.html

He didn't do much at VMI but it's a very difficult school to recruit for. He had a really good run at App State with winning seasons 4 out of 5 years and 2 play-off appearances. I would love to see App State do something honor him.

Hire him as a Special Teams Consultant

sixtoes9134 · Unread post by **sixtoes9134** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 2:48 pm

Maybe we can kick him in the ass for bolting to SC with our starting QB back in 89.

ASUPATCH · Unread post by **ASUPATCH** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 2:53 pm

proasu89 wrote:
spong wrote:Former App State head coach Sparky Woods' contract will not be renewed by VMI.

http://www.roanoke.com/sports/vmi-decli ... 13de1.html

He didn't do much at VMI but it's a very difficult school to recruit for. He had a really good run at App State with winning seasons 4 out of 5 years and 2 play-off appearances. I would love to see App State do something honor him.
Hire him as a Special Teams Consultant

How were special teams during his era? Bit before my time.

Gonzo · Unread post by **Gonzo** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 3:00 pm

proasu89 wrote:
spong wrote:Former App State head coach Sparky Woods' contract will not be renewed by VMI.

http://www.roanoke.com/sports/vmi-decli ... 13de1.html

He didn't do much at VMI but it's a very difficult school to recruit for. He had a really good run at App State with winning seasons 4 out of 5 years and 2 play-off appearances. I would love to see App State do something honor him.
Hire him as a Special Teams Consultant

"A consultant is a man who knows 100 sex positions but doesn't know a woman"

-Erk Russel

proasu89 · Unread post by **proasu89** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 3:03 pm

ASUPATCH wrote:
proasu89 wrote:
spong wrote:Former App State head coach Sparky Woods' contract will not be renewed by VMI.

http://www.roanoke.com/sports/vmi-decli ... 13de1.html

He didn't do much at VMI but it's a very difficult school to recruit for. He had a really good run at App State with winning seasons 4 out of 5 years and 2 play-off appearances. I would love to see App State do something honor him.
Hire him as a Special Teams Consultant

How were special teams during his era? Bit before my time.

Better than under the previous administration, but I was probably not sober at any games back then and just thought it was better

NewApp · Unread post by **NewApp** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 3:09 pm

sixtoes9134 wrote:Maybe we can kick him in the ass for bolting to SC with our starting QB back in 89.

Amen! Rep point.

sixtoes9134 · Unread post by **sixtoes9134** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 3:13 pm

NewApp wrote:
sixtoes9134 wrote:Maybe we can kick him in the ass for bolting to SC with our starting QB back in 89.
Amen! Rep point.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we got Jerry Moore, but Bobby Fuller was pretty darn good as a 1-AA QB.

NewApp · Unread post by **NewApp** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 3:19 pm

spong wrote:Former App State head coach Sparky Woods' contract will not be renewed by VMI.

http://www.roanoke.com/sports/vmi-decli ... 13de1.html

He didn't do much at VMI but it's a very difficult school to recruit for. He had a really good run at App State with winning seasons 4 out of 5 years and 2 play-off appearances. I would love to see App State do something honor him.

He was featured on the video board a few years ago.

BUTCH1991 · Unread post by **BUTCH1991** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 3:29 pm

We had excellent special teams under Sparky.

moehler · Unread post by **moehler** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 3:30 pm

got no love for Sparky, when he left he not only took the starting qb, plus a few more of our best players, didn't seem to have any problems gutting our program and bringing our best with him to South Carolina.

hapapp · Unread post by **hapapp** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 5:21 pm

moehler wrote:got no love for Sparky, when he left he not only took the starting qb, plus a few more of our best players, didn't seem to have any problems gutting our program and bringing our best with him to South Carolina.

In some cases, they followed him. It wasn't just a case of him robbing us. He had recruited these players and they obviously wanted to continue to play for him.

moehler · Unread post by **moehler** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 5:35 pm

ya, it was weird the only players that he recruited to App and later followed him to SC was our very best players, and the rest he recruited stayed in Boone...yep, nothing strange about that.

85gradinATL · Unread post by **85gradinATL** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 6:07 pm

I've always been a fan of what he did for us when he was here. His special teams were great. We blocked a ton of kicks during that time. Fuller was the QB who left, but the center who left was Jay Killen. He was from SC and wanted to go there out of high school but Joe Morrison didn't want him. Kind of like Elliott. I don't think you could blame the kids for leaving. A lot of the coaches went with Sparky too. These were almost all the coaches that Mack Brown brought in and they all stayed with Sparky when Mack left. I think the success we had in the late 80s sparked the fan support and sustained success that we hadn't before and that helped things pick back up once Moore and his staff got settled.

moehler · Unread post by **moehler** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 6:18 pm

funny thing, at the time of his hire Moore obviously didn't have "warm feelings" for how Sparky left the program, when asked what was going to be his first task at App, Moore said, we are going to stop being the minor league program for South Carolina.

spong · Unread post by **spong** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 7:01 pm

I don't know if Sparky and Coach Scatt know each other. I don't know if they would get along. I don't know if Coach Scatt would want him on staff. I'm not sure Sparky would be a team player.

I'm sure he would do a fine job as special teams coordinator. A lot of coaching staffs have one or two old guy/has-beens. It can be good to have that perspective around and have mentor-like figure for a young head coach. He also has some NFL experience which is nice to have around too.

He's been working VMI so it's not like we couldn't afford him.

Rick0714 · Unread post by **Rick0714** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 12:14 am

Well, I'm very biased here. I played for Sparky and found him to be not only one of the APPsolute best x and o coaches I have EVER been around (and I've been coaching for nearly 18 years) but one heckuva fine gentleman as well. I can state for the record that Bobby followed him, coach didn't "take" him. As a matter of fact, I think I remember that Fuller had to call the AD because none of the coaches would talk to him.

Anyway, the "Black Shirts" were our special teams back then and took a lot of pride in their game. From Holly Wood Pelham to Bjorn Nittmo, everyone practiced ST very hard. BUT, we are at the maximum on coaches, so unless someone leaves, there is not a spot for him. I love the man for what he did for me (too long a story for here), but we could do no better to help our special teams.

proasu89 · Unread post by **proasu89** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 7:02 am

Great information Rick and thanks for sharing that. I had the privilege of interviewing for WASU on 2 occasions and he went out of his way to treat this 19 year old like a professional journalist, while I obviously was not.

bigdaddyg · Unread post by **bigdaddyg** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 8:32 am

Didn't Nittmo marry Sparky's daughter? I was at App for Mack's one year and then for Sparky. Seemed like a decent guy and good coach. I worked in dorm security at a girl's dorm- sweet gig, and I recall one occasion where two (big) football players were in the dorm past curfew. They begged me not to let Coach Woods know. Led me to believe he had pretty good control and respect of his players. Like everyone else I hated to see him go. If I am not mistaken didn't we have an incredible home record during his time? Maybe we can also get Bobby Cremins to come back as an assistant bb coach. I know a lot of the suggestions about Sparky as a ST coach are tongue in cheek but do we really think that ST's are THAT bad and won't get corrected easily with some of the redshirted kids that will be playing next season? My understanding with college football is that coaches are limited with practice time and with that being said they simply can't devote as much time to aspects like ST's. Whenever I read writeups from practices it seems like ST situations are usually done at the end of sessions. Could be wrong.

Rick0714 · Unread post by **Rick0714** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 10:28 am

bigdaddyg wrote:Didn't Nittmo marry Sparky's daughter? I was at App for Mack's one year and then for Sparky. Seemed like a decent guy and good coach. I worked in dorm security at a girl's dorm- sweet gig, and I recall one occasion where two (big) football players were in the dorm past curfew. They begged me not to let Coach Woods know. Led me to believe he had pretty good control and respect of his players. Like everyone else I hated to see him go. If I am not mistaken didn't we have an incredible home record during his time? Maybe we can also get Bobby Cremins to come back as an assistant bb coach. I know a lot of the suggestions about Sparky as a ST coach are tongue in cheek but do we really think that ST's are THAT bad and won't get corrected easily with some of the redshirted kids that will be playing next season? My understanding with college football is that coaches are limited with practice time and with that being said they simply can't devote as much time to aspects like ST's. Whenever I read writeups from practices it seems like ST situations are usually done at the end of sessions. Could be wrong.

Bjorn married Roachel Laney's daughter. Lost track of him years ago, but last time we spoke, he was a general contractor in Florida. Yes, special teams are usually handled at the end of practice, but I know with some coaches, Sparky for sure, if he or another coach saw it was needed, may spend over half a practice focusing on it. I'm willing to bet that Scott has spent some extra time there. Just a thought, think we could get the guy from Charlotte, Dan Orner (?), that worked with Sam Martin before the draft to come during the off-season and work with the kicking corps? Would be $ very well spent, IMHO.

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