Growing With Football

HAR-BER COACH’S PASSION CARRIES HIM THROUGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE

By Nathan Allen

Posted: December 5, 2009 at 5:38 a.m.

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SPRINGDALE — Football hasn’t always been just a game to Chris Wood; it’s been his life.

Since the day he first began walking, Springdale Har-Ber’s fifth-year football coach has always associated himself with the sport in some way or fashion, whether it was with the clothes he wore or the things he did.

Being raised by his single mother, Janice Marshall, Wood’s childhood wasn’t always ideal. The two moved to several different places around the country when he was young, including Anchorage, Alaska, so she could find the best jobs and support them both the best way possible.

Despite the distractions and inconsistencies of a steady childhood, Wood, 37, always found endless possibilities with football. He not only played the sport at every age level, it’s the only thing that got him through school — something Wood admits he was never interested in.

“I can remember in Anchorage, he’d play pee-wee football games in the snow. That’s what they do up there,” said Marshall, who lives in Bentonville. “I even think in my first baby picture of Chris, he has a small plastic football in his hands. That’s the way he is; he and the sport just go hand in hand.”

Football not only helped Wood earn an athletic scholarship at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville — from where he graduated in 1996 — it’s helped him establish relationships, meet his wife, April, and ultimately land a combined six different coaching positions in Arkansas and Texas, leading to an abundance of success.

“I’m a blessed individual, there’s no doubt about that,” said Wood. “I’ve had some opportunities that other can only dream about. That’s what football has done for me, that’s what it’s meant to my life.

“Without it, I don’t know where I would be today.”

Getting A Start

During Wood’s sophomore year of high school, when he lived with Marshall in a suburb of Dallas, the decision was made he should move back to Atkins and live with his grandmother, Mary McMaster.

The decision, which was ultimately decided by Marshall, was made because she thought Wood would have more opportunities — both academic and athletic — in a smaller town.

“I just wanted the best for him,” Marshall said. “We all thought it was a good decision. He was at a huge school, and I just wanted him to be at a smaller school.”

Wood played for the Red Devils his junior and senior seasons (1990-91) under longtime coach Charlie Sorrels before playing football at Arkansas Tech from 1991-94.

“I was a tight end, and not a very good one,” Wood said. “I was average at best.”

After graduating college, he took his first job at Shiloh Christian in 1997 as a junior high football coach. From there, Wood’s career really took flight.

After a one-year stint in 2000 as the offensive coordinator at Austin High in Austin, Texas, Wood came back to Springdale to become the head coach at Shiloh. During his first year, the Saints cruised to a state championship.

After three years at Shiloh, Wood went to Nashville for one year and led the Scrappers to a 13-1 record and a berth to the state semifinals. It was a place Wood expected to be at for a long time until his good friend and former colleague, Gus Malzahn, called to offer him a job as Springdale High’s offensive coordinator in 2005.

“That was so tough. Nashville invested so much into me,” Wood said. “I wanted to stay, but I wanted to take a chance and coach with Gus. Springdale is such a great place to be, I knew once I got there, I’d love it.

“I still feel that way today.”

Following the 2005 season, when Springdale went 14-0 en route to a state championship, Wood was named the first football coach at Har-Ber, Springdale’s newest high school.

Prior to Har-Ber, Wood compiled a 39-13-1 coaching record in two separate stops and developed the reputation of being an offensive mastermind, mostly because of his time under Malzahn.

“Working with Chris as long as I did, it was clear to see how good of a coach he is,” Malzahn said, now the first-year offensive coordinator at Auburn. “He’s a real confident guy, and he gets the most out of his players. They believe in him.

“You can put him anywhere; he’s going to find a way to win. We always made a great team when we were together.”

Success At Har-Ber

It only took two years for Wood to make Har-Ber one of the state’s best football teams.

After an expected rough first season, in which the Wildcats went 2-8, Har-Ber won 10 games in 2007 and advanced to the Class 7A State Championship game.

With the help of his assistant coaches and a steady influx of talented players, Har-Ber has continued to improve every season under Wood, who boasts a 32-15 record at the school.

“What makes Chris so enjoyable to work with is he lets his assistant coaches coach,” said Don Struebing, Har-Ber’s offensive line coach. “He doesn’t micromanage anybody, he trusts us. He’s also so supportive of everybody, his players and coaches.

“He protects us all. That’s the way he is.”

Har-Ber (12-1) will try to make history today when it plays Fort Smith Southside (9-4) at 6:30 p.m. in Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium for the Class 7A state championship. If the Wildcats win, it’ll be the school’s first state title in any sport.

Senior defensive lineman Eric Pearce said another reason Wood excels as a coach is because of how personable he is to everyone.

“There are a lot of times when I don’t even see him as coach. He’s like another dad or something,” Pearce said. “He’s the guy everybody loves to be around.”

Senior defensive back Houston Pruitt said winning a state championship for Wood would mean the most to Har-Ber’s seniors.

“We all want to do this for (Wood),” Pruitt said. “He’s been with us every step of the way; we want to win it for him. He deserves this and that’s been our motivation. To go out with a state title and doing it with (Wood) would be the greatest feeling.”

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