Hall of Fame
Janet Cooper Wood came to Southern Arkansas from her hometown of Melbourne in Izard County, playing basketball for the then Riderettes from 1974-1978 and volleyball for her first three years.
At Melbourne, her Lady Bearkatz basketball team won the state and overall championship in 1973. She was an All-State selection for three years and played in the 1974 All-Star game in Conway.
Immediately following her all-star performance, Wood met Riderette Coach Dr. Margaret Downing for the first time, who encouraged her to visit the SAU campus and program. She committed on that visit, with a bonus at the time being that Monroe Ingram, who was also from Izard County (Calico Rock), was on the men’s basketball staff. Known as “Coop” to her Riderette teammates, Ingram labeled her as the “Izard County Flash.”
Wood was a four-year starter for the Riderette basketball team, earning All-Arkansas Women’s Intercollegiate Sports Association (AWISA) honors for three seasons and playing on squads that won AWISA championships her first three years.
The Riderettes were a combined 71-20 over her four years, advancing to the region tournament each season, finishing third in both her sophomore season of 1975-76 when the team went 20-4, and her junior year of 1976-77 that finished 20-3.
Wood is a three-time member of the 300-Point Club, averaging 16.5 points per game in scoring 395 points her sophomore year (1975-76), 16.1 points per game with 371 points her junior season (1976-77), and 15.1 points per game with 317 her senior year (1977-78). She currently ranks sixth on the all-time SAU career scoring list with 1,369 points in 91 games, averaging 15.0 points per game over her four years.
She led the team in both scoring and assists her final two seasons, and still holds the school record with 156 assists in the 1975-76 season.
A versatile athlete, “Coop” was also a three-year starter in volleyball, playing on two AWISA championship teams and being named to the All-AWISA team.
After receiving her B.S.E. in physical education in 1978, Wood spent the next year as a graduate assistant for Dr. Downing, acquiring her M.Ed. in physical education in 1979. Wood credited the five years spent with Dr. Downing as very instrumental in her future coaching success.
Wood returned to north Arkansas where she coached at Mountain Home High School, guiding her basketball teams to eight final fours, five state runner-up finishes, and one state championship. During her tenure, her teams compiled an overall record of 516-112 for a glittering .822 winning percentage. She was named the Arkansas High School Coaches Association (AHSCA) outstanding coach in girl’s basketball twice, received the AHSCA’s outstanding coach in girl’s athletics, and coached in three All-Star games. She also coached volleyball, track, softball and golf at Mountain Home, and in 2009 was inducted into the AHSCA Hall of Fame.
Wood retired from coaching in 1999, moved into administration, then served as the District Athletic Director from 2004 - 2015. She held the distinction of being the only full-time female athletic director in the state. Most recently, Wood was inducted into the Arkansas High School Athletic Administrators Hall of Fame in October of 2020.
She has been at Mountain Home for 40 years and has been the Kindergarten Principal for the past 4 years.
Janet is married to Lou Wood, and they have three children and six grandchildren. Their daughter, Mandi Booe, and husband Jamie live in Little Rock; son Travis and his wife Liz reside in Tulsa; and daughter, Laci Lyons, and husband Derrick live in Conway. Janet plans to retire in June 2021 to spend more time with Carley, Evan, Lane, Luke, Gene, and Golden.
