Grinnell College Athletics Hall of Fame
Stephen F. Wood ’04 was a key contributor to the Grinnell Pioneer men’s basketball program’s rise to national prominence. After joining the team for the 2001 season, Wood led it to the best four years in school history at the time with 65 wins, as well as two Midwest Conference titles. This included the most wins in a single season by the squad with 19 in 2003, as well as the second-most at the time with 18 in 2004. During these four years, Wood led his team and league in scoring his final three seasons, finishing second in scoring nationally as a sophomore and senior. He also led the team in assists one season and racked up three First-Team All-Conference awards from 2002–2004, an honorable mention in 2001, and was named the Midwest Conference Player of the Year in 2003. He ranks No. 1 at Grinnell for career steals, free throws made and free throws attempted, second in scoring, third in points per game and fifth in assists. When he graduated, he ranked in the NCAA Division III top 20 for career scoring. His teammates regard him as having been the best player and leader in every single practice and game he ever played in, and that is the true hallmark of Wood as a Grinnell College Pioneer. While successfully leading his team on the court, he also ensured that his impact was felt throughout the community as well, working with Grinnell High School players one on one in his free time, showing an incredibly strong commitment to his academics and continuing to stay connected to the College through donations and involvement with the alumni game. Following his time at Grinnell, he played professional basketball for the Des Moines Heat, coached at Cornell College and at Richwoods High School in Illinois, and graduated Cum Laude from the Illinois College of Law in 2009. He returns nearly every year for the basketball alumni weekend and is an avid recruiter of fellow alumni to join in on the festivities. He lives in Normal, Ill., with his wife Megan and daughters Avery Jane and Sydney and works as an attorney for Wylder Corwin Kelly LLP.
