BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University defensive coordinator Nate Woody is one of 36 nominees for the 2015 Broyles Award, the Rotary Club of Little Rock announced on Wednesday. The Broyles Award is presented annually to college football's top assistant coach.

In his third season as Appalachian State's defensive coordinator, Woody oversees a unit that ranks among the top two in the Sun Belt Conference and/or the top 25 nationally in 10 different statistical categories. Most notably, the Mountaineers lead the Sun Belt in total defense (320.5 ypg - 15th nationally), scoring defense (18.5 ppg - 16th nationally), rushing defense (134.7 ypg - 31st nationally) and pass-efficiency defense (116.34 - 34th nationally).

Appalachian ranks No. 1 among 128 NCAA Division I FBS teams in red-zone defense, only allowing its opponents to score at a 58.8-percent clip when they get inside the Mountaineers' 20 yard line. App State is also tied for fourth nationally with four defensive touchdowns.

Should Appalachian State finish the season as the Sun Belt's top-ranked defense, it would mark the second-straight year that it accomplished the feat. Last season, Woody's defense surrendered just 347.5 yards per game en route to being the Sun Belt's No. 1 unit in the Mountaineers' first year in the conference.

A 25-year coaching veteran, Woody came to Appalachian State in 2013 after 22 seasons as an assistant coach at former Southern Conference rival Wofford. He served as defensive coordinator for the final 13 seasons of his 22-year coaching stint at his alma mater. The Terriers led the SoCon in total defense three times under his direction.  
 
“This is a well-deserved honor for Coach Woody,” Appalachian State head coach Scott Satterfield said. “All of our coaches do an outstanding job and have played a huge role in our success this season. But, in particular, it's great to see Coach Woody recognized for what he and the rest of our defensive coaches have done to make our defense one of the nation's top units.”

Woody is Appalachian State's second Broyles Award nominee in as many seasons as a member of FBS. Co-offensive coordinator Dwayne Ledford was nominated for the award in 2014.

The list of 36 Broyles Award nominees will be trimmed to five finalists on Monday. The 2015 Broyles Award will be presented on Dec. 8 at the Marriott Hotel in Little Rock, Ark.