A four-time New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Coach of the Year (1997, 1998, 2009, 2010), Keith Woods is in his 27th season at the helm of the William Paterson women’s soccer program in 2023.

An assistant coach during the Pioneers’ first days as a club team in 1993, he took over as the head coach in 1997 and helped William Paterson become one of the most respected and accomplished programs in the region, earning three NCAA Tournament berths (1997, 1998, 2010) and the 2009 ECAC Metro Region Tournament title. Woods registered his 200th career victory with a 3-0 shutout of St. Joseph’s-Long Island at Pioneer Soccer Park (9/20/17), and his student-athletes have also excelled off the field, a fact evidenced by the 55 total selections earned to the last nine NJAC All-Academic Teams.

During his first season at the helm, Woods led the Pioneers to the 1997 NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen. In 1998, William Paterson won its first NJAC championship and was ranked as high as No. 3 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Top 25 Poll after going 14-0-2 during the regular season. His efforts during both of those seasons earned him NJAC Coach of the Year honors, as the 1997 team was ranked No. 11 in the final NSCAA Division III Poll, and the 1998 squad finished with a No. 21 rating.

Woods directed WP to a berth in the 2010 NCAA Tournament and the championship match of the NJAC Tournament. Six of his charges were selected to the 2010 all-conference team, including NJAC Defensive Player of the Year and NSCAA second-team all-American Ali Ruddy, as well as NJAC Goalkeeper of the Year Alyssa Falduto.

Prior to coaching, Woods was an all-NJAC performer, a four-year starter and a captain of the 1991 Trenton State team that played for the Division III national championship. During his prep days, he was a standout at Belleville High School.

Woods also was an assistant women’s basketball coach at William Paterson for nine years (1993-2002), including a stint as the acting head coach during the 2001-02 campaign. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at Trenton State in 1992.

Woods’ WP Coaching Highlights

- 234 wins across 26 seasons (1997-2022)

- Three NCAA Tournament appearances (1997, 1998, 2010)

- Thirteen NJAC Tournament berths 

- Four NJAC Tournament championship appearances (1998, 1999, 2000, 2010) 

- One NJAC Tournament title (1998)

- One ECAC Tournament championship (2009)

- Four NJAC Coach of the Year honors (1997, 1998, 2009, 2010)

- Two all-America selections

- Twenty-two All-Region performers

- Fourteen NJAC major award winners (Six Offensive Player’s of the Year, one Defensive Player of the Year, three Rookie’s of the Year, two Goalkeeper’s of the Year)

- 119 all-NJAC honorees

- One ECAC Rookie of the Year

- Three All-ECAC Team recipients

- Eight academic all-district selections

- 128 spots on the Academic All-NJAC Team