DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman University announced the appointment of Raymond Woodie as Head Football Coach. Woodie, 49, becomes the 16th head coach of Bethune-Cookman Football.

Woodie, a four-year letterwinner as a linebacker and 1996 graduate of Bethune-Cookman College, takes the helm of Wildcats Football following an impressive career as an assistant coach at numerous Power 5 schools including Florida Atlantic University (2020-22), Florida State University (2018-19), the University of Oregon (2017) and the University of South Florida (2013-16).

Woodie has been recognized as one of the premier recruiters in college football, serving as an assistant under Head Coach Willie Taggart across multiple coaching stops. He has recruited seven players that were eventually selected in the NFL Draft.

During his time with Oregon in 2017, Woodie was named the No. 1 recruiter in the PAC-12, as well as No. 13 in the nation by 247 Sports. Woodie led the way in signing the American Athletic Conference's top-ranked classes in 2014 and 2015, in addition to the top class in the Sun Belt Conference in 2010 and 2011. Woodie was named AAC Top Recruiter by Rivals in 2014, and Sun Belt Recruiter of the Year by Scout/FoxSports.com in 2012.

Most recently, Woodie served as Associate Head Coach at Florida Atlantic, where he worked primarily with special teams and oversaw all aspects of recruiting in the role of recruiting coordinator for the Owls. 

In his time as a student-athlete at Bethune-Cookman, Woodie was a two-time Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) First Team Defense selection, as well as a two-time Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) All-America selection. He was also the first Bethune-Cookman student-athlete to be named a GTE Academic All-American and have $25,000 donated to the University in his name.

Bethune-Cookman University will hold a press conference on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 12 p.m. The university will introduce new head football coach Raymond Woodie, Jr. to the Wildcat community. Speakers will include Interim President Lawrence M. Drake II, Ph.D., Athletic Director Reggie Theus and Coach Woodie, Jr. The event will be streamed live on the CatEye Network. 

About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams.
 
Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, and Tennis.

Women’s competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, and Volleyball.
 
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