Ole Miss Expected to Add Miami Tight Ends Coach Cody Woodiel to Staff

OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss is wasting no time reshaping its staff after a historic postseason run.

With Miami’s season officially complete following a loss to Indiana in Miami Gardens, the Rebels are moving forward with plans to add Cody Woodiel to the coaching staff. Multiple sources expect the Hurricanes’ tight ends coach to join Ole Miss Rebels in the coming days, filling a vacancy that opened late in the postseason.

The opening was created when tight ends coach Joe Cox departed Oxford to follow the Rebels’ former head coach to LSU. Once Ole Miss’ College Football Playoff run concluded in Glendale, the focus quickly shifted to completing the staff — and Woodiel emerged as the top target.

For Woodiel, the move represents both a professional step forward and a homecoming.

A native of Hernando, Mississippi, Woodiel played his college football at Troy Trojans before beginning his coaching career as a graduate assistant. After climbing the ranks through stops at Murray State and Itawamba Community College, he joined Mario Cristobal’s staff at Oregon, spending three seasons there before following Cristobal to Miami Hurricanes.

Woodiel arrived in Coral Gables in 2022 as an offensive analyst and quickly earned a larger role. During that season, he helped guide tight end Will Mallory to the most productive year of his career, as Mallory recorded 42 catches for 538 yards and three touchdowns. Mallory went on to earn All-ACC honors and was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Beyond on-field development, Woodiel built a strong reputation as a recruiter. He played a key role in Miami assembling one of the ACC’s top recruiting classes in four consecutive cycles, particularly at the tight end position. Woodiel served as the primary recruiter for four-star tight ends Gavin Muller and Israel Biggs — giving Miami one of only two programs to sign multiple top-20 tight ends during that span. He was also heavily involved in the recruitment of left tackle Markell Bell, a Mississippi native whose addition further strengthened Miami’s offensive line pipeline.

Now, Woodiel is expected to bring that experience back to his home state, joining a program fresh off a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance. For Ole Miss, the anticipated hire adds a young, well-connected assistant with a track record of player development and recruiting success — and another piece to a staff intent on building momentum rather than resetting after a breakthrough season.

If finalized as expected, Woodiel’s arrival would mark a seamless transition at tight ends — and a return to Mississippi for a coach whose career continues to rise.