[6] He attended college at Louisiana State University earning a bachelor's degree in political science in 1985.
[7] After graduating from LSU, Woodward was a co-owner of a government and public relations firm in Baton Rouge that provided strategic policy direction to Fortune 500 corporations.
[7] In 2000, Woodward was hired by LSU Chancellor Mark Emmert to serve as the director of external affairs at Louisiana State University.
[9] In Woodward's first year at Washington, the athletic department budget faced a $2.8 million shortfall causing the elimination of both men's and women's swimming programs.
[10] Also during his first year, the football team went 0–12 and Woodward fired head coach Tyrone Willingham in October 2008.
Woodward's tenure with Washington will be noted for hiring head football coach Steve Sarkisian and later luring Chris Petersen from Boise State along with a $282 million reconstruction of Husky Stadium that was completed in 2013.