ELF: Barcelona Dragons hire Michael Wood as new defensive coordinator

The Barcelona Dragons of the European League of Football, ELF, have signed Milano Seamen head coach Michael Wood as their new defensive coordinator.

Wood replaces Doug Semones who was forced to leave for personal reasons.

Wood just led the Seamen to the Italian Bowl where they lost in overtime to the Parma Panthers. He has been the head coach for the Seamen since the 2018 season leading them to a 28-4 overall record with two Italian titles and a second place.

The former Ohio State Buckeye defensive back, who played in four bowl games including the Rose Bowl, has built up an impressive coaching resume over the past 30 years following the end of his playing career which included two seasons with Germany’s Kempten Comets.

He has had coaching stints with the Paris Mousquetaires, the Italian national team, Ithaca College in New York, Columbia University, Pomona-Pitzer College, and Chapman University. His European coaching background includes the Bolzano Giants, Danube Dragons, Flash La Courneuve (2014), and the Allgäu Comets (2015). He served as the defensive coordinator of the Giants again in 2017. Following the Italian season, he then took on the defensive coordinator’s role with the Europe Warriors team that played against one of Mexico’s top college teams, the UNAM Pumas CU in August of 2017.

The Dragons are currently last in the ELF South with a 1-4 record and have five games to go in the regular season.