John Woods
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- Previous College:
- Palomar College
Bio
John Woods has been synonymous with California Community College athletics for almost 50 years and has served as a coach and athletic director at Palomar College and in his current role as Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Commissioner, helping to expand and enrich opportunities for the thousands of student-athletes he’s come in contact with.
Wrestling was Woods’ passion during his career as a student-athlete, leading him to become a three-time All-American at Cal Poly, where he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He took over the Palomar wrestling program in 1973, beginning a 15-year run in which he compiled an amazing 179-19-3 dual-meet record, winning four CCCAA State Championships and three CCCAA State Dual Championships.
For his efforts, Woods was named California and National Community College Coach of the Year four times each. He finished his career having coached 11 state champions and 51 All-Americans. He began his role as Palomar Athletics Director in 1986, building the Comets into one of the state’s largest, most diverse and comprehensive programs.
Woods retired from Palomar in 2007 but he wasn’t done yet, becoming commissioner for both the PCAC and the Southern California Wrestling Alliance. He is a member of seven Athletics Halls of Fame.