Jualeah Woods, who has over 20 years of collegiate coaching experience, enters her sixth season as an assistant with the UC Irvine women’s basketball team.
Since her arrival, the Anteaters have won 87 games, marking their best five-year stretch since 1980-85.
Last year, Woods helped orchestrate one of the best seasons in program history as UCI set a school record with 14 conference victories, while tying the overall mark with 21 wins. The ‘Eaters also made it to the Big West championship game for the second year in a row and earned the program’s first WNIT postseason berth. They led the league in scoring offense (66.5 ppg) and scoring margin (+5.6), and set single-season records in free throw percentage (76%) and 3-pointers made (224).
In 2020-21, during a shortened season in the middle of a pandemic, Woods helped guide the Anteaters to a 15-9 overall record and an 11-4 mark in conference play. UC Irvine had its second-straight runner-up finish in the regular-season standings, while also making its first appearance in the Big West Tournament championship game in 24 years.
In 2019-20, Woods led the ‘Eaters to a second-place Big West finish, which was their best since 1997-98. She mentored forward Sophia Locandro, who earned All-Big West honors and was named to the conference’s All-Freshman Team.
In 2018-19, Woods was part of the staff that led the Anteaters to the third 20-win campaign (20-11) in school history and first since 1984-85. The team’s success did not go unnoticed as they made their debut in the College Insider Mid-Major Poll, rising to as high as No. 15. UC Irvine also finished the year ranked among the top-25 in the country in turnover margin (7th), turnovers forced (22nd) and steals (23rd).
In 2017-18, Woods' first year at Irvine, the 'Eaters went 18-14 overall, finished third in the Big West and made their first national postseason appearance since 1995. The 18 victories more than doubled the team's win total from each of the previous three years. The Anteaters established a single-season school-record with 356 steals, while their 11.1 takeaways per game was tops in the Big West and 13th in the nation.
Woods came to UC Irvine from USC where she was an assistant coach from 2013-17. In her first year, the Trojans advanced to the 2014 NCAA Tournament after winning their first-ever Pac-12 Tournament title. Over her four seasons, the Women of Troy went 70-57.
Prior to her stint at USC, Woods spent eight years in multiple roles at San Diego State. She was named SDSU’s interim head coach after two seasons as an associate head coach and six as an assistant. Woods was also the Aztecs’ recruiting coordinator. During her tenure, San Diego State won two Mountain West Conference regular season and tournament titles, and made three NCAA appearances, including a trip to the Sweet Sixteen in 2010. Woods mentored numerous All-Mountain West Conference performers, highlighted by four-time selection Paris Johnson and 2010 MWC Newcomer of the Year Jessika Bradley.
Woods was previously an assistant at Oregon State for five seasons (2000-05), where she helped the Beavers make four-straight WNIT appearances. She worked closely with the OSU guards, including All-American Felicia Ragland. Woods was also Oregon State’s recruiting coordinator in each of her last three years in Corvallis.
Woods began her coaching career at Santa Monica High School before returning to her hometown of Berkeley for her first collegiate job as an assistant at Cal (1998-2000).
Woods prepped at Berkeley High School, where she garnered honorable mention All-America honors and was tabbed the Northern California Player of the Year as a senior. She went on to play at USC where she was a four-year starter and two-time team captain. Woods led the Trojans to four NCAA Tournaments with runs to the Elite Eight in 1992 and 1994. The Women of Troy also advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in her junior campaign.
Woods earned her bachelor’s degree in public administration from USC in 1994.
