Defensive Coordinator/Outside Linebackers
Nate Woody begins his fifth season as Appalachian State's defensive coordinator and his fourth year coaching the Mountaineers' outside linebackers.
Woody has transformed the Mountaineer defense into one of the dominant units not only in the Sun Belt, but in all of college football. The Apps are coming off arguably the best defensive season in the history of Sun Belt Football after leading the league in numerous major statistical categories and holding conference opponents to only 91 points in league play, the fewest points allowed by any FBS team in conference play in 2016.
The Mountaineers held just under half of the 2016 opponents to 10 points or fewer en route to a 10-3 season and a second consecutive Camellia Bowl win. Woody's defense led the Sun Belt in Scoring Defense (9th nationally), Red Zone Defense (8th), Total Defense (17th), and was second in the league but sixth nationally with 20 interceptions.
App's season included holding a full-strength Tennessee to 13 points in regulation and shutting down rival Georgia Southern, 34-10, becoming only the second team in 40 years to hold the Eagles without an offensive TD at home. App also held opponents without a TD for almost three full games to open Sun Belt play before Idaho scored with :04 seconds remaining in an App victory.
Six Apps earned All-Sun Belt honors in 2016, led by Clifton Duck earning Freshman All-American honors and the title of Sun Belt Freshman of the Year. Cornerback Mondo Williams, linebackers Kennan Gilchrist and Eric Boggs, along with defensive linemen Dezmin Reed and Tee Sims all earned postseason All-Sun Belt honors.
In five seasons, Woody has overseen the transformation of a defense that ranked eighth out of nine teams in the NCAA Division I FCS Southern Conference in total defense the year prior to his arrival (2012) to the top-ranked unit in the Division I FBS Sun Belt Conference three consecutive seasons and a top-ranked unit nationally in 2015 and 2016.
After yielding just 347.5 yards per game in 2014, the defense clamped down on opponents even further in 2015 to allow just 314.5 yards per game, good for the No. 1 defense in the Sun Belt and 11th nationally. App's 329.7 yards allowed per game in '16 led the league as well, despite being one of two teams in the Sun Belt to not play an FCS team. Individually, outside linebacker Devan Stringer earned honorable-mention all-Sun Belt recognition as he exploded in his second year, almost doubling his total tackles to 60 with 34 solo takedowns. Kennan Gilchrist had a successful junior campaign, finishing fourth in total tackles on the Mountaineers with 61 (39 solo).
Woody came to Appalachian State in 2013 as defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach. In his first season at App State, the Mountaineers fielded a much-improved defensive unit, surrendering fewer points, rushing yards and total yards than they did in 2012.
Under Woody's tutelage, the Mountaineers linebacking crew has cleaned up in postseason accolades, most recently with four all-Sun Belt awards in 2015. The linebackers' award season was highlighted by John Law receiving the 2015 Sun Belt Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year award after being named NCAA Division I FCS freshman all-American in 2013.
Woody came to Appalachian State after 13 successful seasons as the defensive coordinator at former Southern Conference rival Wofford. Woody spent the first 22 years of his collegiate coaching career at Wofford (1988-93, 1997-2012) and served as the Terriers' defensive coordinator from 2000-12.
In his 13 seasons at the helm of his alma mater's defense, Woody built one of the Southern Conference's most successful units. Wofford led the SoCon in total defense three times under Woody's direction, including twice in the last three campaigns (2010 and 2012), and produced nine all-Americans and three SoCon Defensive Players of the Year.
In Woody's final season at Wofford (2012), the Terriers allowed just 16.6 points, 125 rushing yards and 305.9 total yards per game, good for tops in the SoCon in all three categories. Wofford ranked among the top 10 nationally in total defense two of the past three seasons — seventh in 2010 (285.9 ypg) and ninth in 2012. The Terriers also led the nation in takeaways with 41 in 2003.
Woody was a four-year starter at Wofford from 1980-83, playing two years at defensive back and two at outside linebacker. He was an honorable-mention All-American as a senior, as well as a two-time all-district honoree and served as the Terriers' team captain in 1983. He graduated from Wofford with a B.A. in business economics in 1984.
He was born in Burlington, N.C. and spent part of his childhood in nearby Morganton, N.C. before attending high school at T.L. Hanna H.S. in Anderson, S.C. At Hanna, he was a four-sport standout (football, basketball, baseball and soccer) and played in the 1979 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas. Woody and his wife, Rebecca, have two sons, Nicolas and Jacob.
WOODY AT A GLANCE
Coaching Experience
1988-93, 1997-99: Wofford (assistant coach)
2000-12: Wofford (defensive coordinator)
2013: Appalachian State (defensive coordinator/inside linebackers)
2014-pres.: Appalachian State (defensive coordinator/outside linebackers)
Playing Experience
1980-83: Wofford (DB/LB)
Alma Mater: Wofford, 1984
Hometown: Anderson, S.C.
Birthdate: Dec. 30, 1960
Wife: Rebecca
Sons: Nicolas and Jacob
Twitter: @CoachNateWoody
