KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Longtime Tennessee baseball athletic trainer Jeff Wood was recently named the winner of the 2026 Tennessee Athletic Trainer Society’s Eugene Smith / Mickey O’Brien College Athletic Trainer of the Year Award.
The College Athletic Trainer of the Year Award is named for former head athletic trainers Eugene Smith of then Memphis State University and Mickey O’Brien, who served at the University of Tennessee, both of whom were decorated athletic trainers that helped set the model that others have followed in providing care at the collegiate level.
Wood, more commonly known as Woody to those within the Tennessee athletic department, just completed his 24th year as the head athletic trainer for the UT baseball program.
“I can’t think of a more deserving athletic trainer than Woody to be named the College Athletic Trainer of the Year by the Tennessee Athletic Trainer’s Society,” Senior Associate Athletics Director of Sports Medicine & Sports Performance Jason McVeigh said. “Woody has made a positive impact on the careers and lives of hundreds of University of Tennessee student-athletes in his 20-plus years of service. He not only cares for his athletes, but he cares about them as people as well. He is a role model and mentor to our staff and has consistently represented our department and university well.”
Previous winners of the award from UT include Tim Kerin (1993), Mike Rollo (2002), Chad Newman (2010) and Robb Duncanson (2014).
Wood has played in integral part in the Vols’ success over the years, having been a part of five Men’s College World Series teams during his tenure in Knoxville.
“We’re extremely fortunate to have one of the best trainers in the nation here on Rocky Top working with our players on a daily basis,” head coach Josh Elander said. Ensuring that our players are healthy and at their best is vital to our success, and that wouldn’t be possible without Woody’s continuous work and dedication.
“He truly embodies what it means to be a Volunteer and has displayed that time after time during his two-plus decades here at UT.”
Wood’s experience and knowledge of Sports Medicine has routinely earned him the praise of the coaches and players – who tout him as being one of the best trainers at any level of baseball.
“I am so pleased that Woody is being recognized as the Eugene Smith/Mickey O’Brien College Athletic Trainer of the Year,” Tennessee Head Team Physician Dr. Chris Klenck said. “I have had the privilege of working with Woody my entire career. He has enriched the lives of not only student-athletes but all the athletic trainers, team physicians, coaches and others who know him. Woody has always told me how lucky he was to be able to do his job, but the University of Tennessee is truly the lucky one.”
