Maria Ochoa Woods was promoted to UTSA Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director on July 31, 2023, after serving two years as the senior associate athletics director for administration upon her arrival in 2021.
Woods will have oversight of academics, student-athlete welfare, compliance, sports medicine and technology services, and she will continue to be the sport administrator for women’s basketball and baseball.
She joined the Roadrunners executive team after serving as the senior associate athletics director (2012-18) and executive senior associate athletics director (2018-20) at Illinois, where she also served as the senior woman administrator.
A decorated administrator in collegiate athletics for over 30 years, Woods helps coordinate all aspects of UTSA’s 17-sport intercollegiate athletics department.
Woods brings a bevy of diverse athletics experience to the Alamo City, also serving as the senior associate athletics director for administrative services, and senior woman administrator, at Tulane from 2003-12. She began her career on the front lines of collegiate athletics, serving as an athletic trainer and faculty member at Western Carolina before becoming an athletics administrator for the Catamounts.
A native of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Woods was a vital member of the Illinois athletics administration from 2012-2021, where she started as the senior associate athletics director in 2012 and was later promoted to executive senior associate athletics director in 2018. As the senior woman administrator, Woods represented Illinois at Big Ten and NCAA meetings, and internally as the liaison for gender equity and Title IX issues. She was the sport administrator for women’s basketball, women’s gymnastics, women’s soccer, softball and men’s tennis, while overseeing the sport administrators for the department.
She also worked directly with the student development program in coordinating programs for student-athletes at Illinois, including topics pertaining to student-athlete welfare, diversity and inclusion. During her time at Illinois, Woods was active with several professional organizations and committees, she co-chaired the DIA Diversity and Inclusion committee and served on the Illinois Gender Equity Council, the Title IX Advisory Committee and the Committee on Race and Ethnicity, while also participating in the university’s Executive Women’s Conversation Group. She is a member of the Women in College Leaders and Minority Opportunities Athletic Association organizations. She served on the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Sport Committee from 2018-20. She also owned National Athletic Trainers’ Association Certification from 1991-2019.
While at Tulane, Woods was tasked with the administration of several sports, the Green Wave’s student services, while also managing student-athlete welfare and Title IX. She served as the sport administrator for men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, women’s soccer, women’s swimming/diving, men’s and women’s track & field/cross country, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis and beach volleyball.
Woods also functioned with oversight of Tulane’s compliance, academic services, student accounts, athletics training, strength and conditioning and equipment departments. She was vital in Tulane’s recovery from Hurricane Katrina, including the reinstatement and adding of eight sports programs. She served on the NCAA Volleyball Committee from 2005-07 and was the tournament director for the C-USA Women’s Basketball Championships in 2008-09.
At Western Carolina, she began as the assistant athletics trainer in 1992, before moving into the head athletics trainer role from 1996 for the Catamounts. She moved into the assistant athletics director/senior woman administrator role from 1999-2003 at WCU, serving as the sport administrator for women’s basketball, volleyball, men’s and women’s track & field/cross country, men’s and women’s golf and women’s tennis
She earned her bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport sciences from Florida in 1990 and her master’s of education degree in biology and general sciences from Converse College in 1992.
Woods is married to Thomas Woods and the couple has two children, Thomas Jr. “TJ” and Alexander.
Woods will have oversight of academics, student-athlete welfare, compliance, sports medicine and technology services, and she will continue to be the sport administrator for women’s basketball and baseball.
She joined the Roadrunners executive team after serving as the senior associate athletics director (2012-18) and executive senior associate athletics director (2018-20) at Illinois, where she also served as the senior woman administrator.
A decorated administrator in collegiate athletics for over 30 years, Woods helps coordinate all aspects of UTSA’s 17-sport intercollegiate athletics department.
Woods brings a bevy of diverse athletics experience to the Alamo City, also serving as the senior associate athletics director for administrative services, and senior woman administrator, at Tulane from 2003-12. She began her career on the front lines of collegiate athletics, serving as an athletic trainer and faculty member at Western Carolina before becoming an athletics administrator for the Catamounts.
A native of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Woods was a vital member of the Illinois athletics administration from 2012-2021, where she started as the senior associate athletics director in 2012 and was later promoted to executive senior associate athletics director in 2018. As the senior woman administrator, Woods represented Illinois at Big Ten and NCAA meetings, and internally as the liaison for gender equity and Title IX issues. She was the sport administrator for women’s basketball, women’s gymnastics, women’s soccer, softball and men’s tennis, while overseeing the sport administrators for the department.
She also worked directly with the student development program in coordinating programs for student-athletes at Illinois, including topics pertaining to student-athlete welfare, diversity and inclusion. During her time at Illinois, Woods was active with several professional organizations and committees, she co-chaired the DIA Diversity and Inclusion committee and served on the Illinois Gender Equity Council, the Title IX Advisory Committee and the Committee on Race and Ethnicity, while also participating in the university’s Executive Women’s Conversation Group. She is a member of the Women in College Leaders and Minority Opportunities Athletic Association organizations. She served on the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Sport Committee from 2018-20. She also owned National Athletic Trainers’ Association Certification from 1991-2019.
While at Tulane, Woods was tasked with the administration of several sports, the Green Wave’s student services, while also managing student-athlete welfare and Title IX. She served as the sport administrator for men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, women’s soccer, women’s swimming/diving, men’s and women’s track & field/cross country, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis and beach volleyball.
Woods also functioned with oversight of Tulane’s compliance, academic services, student accounts, athletics training, strength and conditioning and equipment departments. She was vital in Tulane’s recovery from Hurricane Katrina, including the reinstatement and adding of eight sports programs. She served on the NCAA Volleyball Committee from 2005-07 and was the tournament director for the C-USA Women’s Basketball Championships in 2008-09.
At Western Carolina, she began as the assistant athletics trainer in 1992, before moving into the head athletics trainer role from 1996 for the Catamounts. She moved into the assistant athletics director/senior woman administrator role from 1999-2003 at WCU, serving as the sport administrator for women’s basketball, volleyball, men’s and women’s track & field/cross country, men’s and women’s golf and women’s tennis
She earned her bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport sciences from Florida in 1990 and her master’s of education degree in biology and general sciences from Converse College in 1992.
Woods is married to Thomas Woods and the couple has two children, Thomas Jr. “TJ” and Alexander.