Bio

Lionel Woods, uOttawa’s longest-serving varsity coach, has been with the Gee-Gees since 1988 when he joined the women’s volleyball program as an assistant coach and student athletic therapist. After becoming head coach mid-way through the 1991-1992 season, Woods has since led the Gee-Gees to twelve OUA Final Four appearances, including five in a row from 2011-2015.

Under Woods' watch, the Gees-Gees tallied two gold, five silver, and two bronze medals at the OUA Championship tournament. The Gee-Gees moved to the RSEQ conference in 2016-17.

Woods led the 2012-13 Gee-Gees to a fourth place finish at the CIS Championship – his highest finish in four appearances. In 2014-15, Ottawa defeated UBC in the CIS Consolation Final to claim fifth place.

He is the first and so far only Gee-Gees head coach in any sport to reach the 500 games plateau (regular season and playoffs). He coached his 500th league match on Jan. 21, 2018, at home against Sherbrooke.

The Gee-Gees program as a whole has five OUA championship banners hanging in the rafters at Montpetit Hall as well as two national podium finishes (2nd & 3rd) in nine appearances at the National Championship (1979-1980, 1980-1981, 1984-85, 1985-1986, 1986-1987, 2006-2007, 2012-2013, 2013-2014, and 2014-15).

Born in Northampton, England, Woods has been named OUA East Coach of the Year three times (2002-03, 2006-07, and 2010-2011). For over 35 years, Woods has been a professional volleyball coach (Level III certified) and a volunteer community coach in basketball, hockey, tennis, and soccer while also serving as a certified Canadian Coach Instructor in volleyball. Woods holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Kinetics, a Bachelor of Education, and a Master’s Degree in Human Kinetics - Sports Administration, all from the University of Ottawa.

Woods served as head coach of the Ontario women's provincial for a complete Canada Games cycle (1993-1997). In 1993, the team captured a silver medal at the National Team Challenge Cup and from 1994-1997, as they prepared for the 1997 Canada Summer Games, they grabbed two national silver medals and two fourth place finishes in the process. Woods also enjoys spending time with Canada's National Team when possible in the off season; he has served as a guest coach at numerous evaluation and tryout camps over the past two decades, represented CIS women's volleyball on the National Team High Performance Committee and served as Head of Delegation as recently as the 2013 Pan Am Cup in Peru.