Announcement Read at Dedication
Rodney Clyde Woods began his high school basketball career as a player at Lone Jack High School in Four-mile Kentucky. During his high school career he received nominations for All-State honors his Junior and Senior years and is still in the KHSAA record books. His single-season high of 1,001 points is the 16th highest total ever achieved in Kentucky high school basketball while his 418 field goals that year is the 3rd most ever scored. In accumulating 2484 career points at Lone Jack, he averaged 32.4 points per game as a senior. High scoring games in his career were 52 and 51 points.
He later attended and played basketball for the University of Tennessee where he won numerous awards including “Most Courageous Player”, “Most Unselfish Player”, Team Captain, and All SEC Player. Coach Woods distinguished himself and his school by performing brilliantly throughout his career at the University of Tennessee. Coach Ray Mears’ use of Woods as “point man” or “one guard” perfected the role which is so prevalent in college basketball today. He also lettered in baseball for two years. Coach Woods was an all-around great athlete.
After receiving his bachelor’s degree he was hired at Claiborne County Schools in Speedwell, Tennessee, Corbin City Schools in Corbin Kentucky, then back at Claiborne County Schools until his employment with Wayne County Schools in 1986. He was hired by Superintendent Clarence Bates, Board of Education members Clyde Koger, Jack Roberts, Oral Correll, Fred Barnes, and Jess Jones. He has worked with four high school principals and five superintendents in his tenure here.
During his 28 years at Wayne County, Coach Woods has led the boys basketball program to win 574 games, including this season’s undefeated record of 12-0, with a total of 574 wins to 303 losses. His career record is 781 wins to 375 losses.
At Wayne County his teams have won:
15 district titles
8 regional championships in 1989, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2002, 2011, and 2013
1 state runner up in 1989
1 elite eight finish in 2011
Coach Woods has been named 12th Region Coach of the year 10 times and in 2002 was the Louisville Courier-Journal and Lexington Herald Leader Coach of the Year for Kentucky.
Coach Woods initiated the Wayne County Boys Basketball Hall of Fame. To date over 70 individuals and 7 teams have been inducted. He was named District Athletic Director in 2005 and has seen Wayne County Cardinal Athletics improve to earn State-wide recognition in many sports.
In April of 2013, Wayne County Board of Education members Patty Roberts, Donna Blevins, Perry Elam, Larry Muse, and Melissa Upchurch, following the recommendation of Superintendent John Dalton, voted unanimously to name this gymnasium “Coach Rodney C. Woods Gymnasium” and the basketball court “Coach Woods Court”. Please join me in recognizing Coach Rodney C. Woods, his wife Cynthia, and sons Landry, Peyton, and Riley, as we dedicate this building and court to Coach Woods.