Nate Woody - Defensive Coordinator - Football Coaches

Oct 15, 2022; West Point, New York, USA; Army Black Knights defensive coordinator Nate Woody coaches his players before a game against the Colgate Raiders at Michie Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

Photo by: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

Nate Woody

Title:
Defensive Coordinator

A 34-year coaching veteran and a coordinator for 23 years, Nate Woody enters his sixth season with the Black Knights in 2025.

Woody came to West Point in 2020 after stints as a defensive analyst at Michigan (2019), defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach at Georgia Tech (2018), defensive coordinator at Appalachian State (2013-17) and defensive coordinator at Wofford (2000-12).

Woody has played a major role in Army’s recent success against service academy rivals Air Force and Navy, helping the Black Knights to a 7-3 record since 2020. In the 10 service academy games in his tenure, Woody’s defense has yielded an average of only 11.6 points per game to the Falcons and Midshipmen, holding them to 11 points or less in five of the 10 contests.

Furthermore, Woody’s unit has not allowed Air Force to score a touchdown in the last nine quarters of play against them and has only allowed two field goals (six points) in the last meetings versus the Falcons. Army has forced nine turnovers in the last two meetings vs. Air Force (six, 2023 and three, 2024).

Woody’s defense played an instrumental role in the historic 2024 season, which saw Army win a program-record 12 games and win the American Athletic Conference Championship. The Black Knights’ defense ranked first nationally in red zone defense. The defense finished with the best red zone mark in the country, only allowing 24 red zone scores (only 18 touchdowns) in 40 opponent opportunities (60.0%).

Army also finished an impressive fourth nationally (first in AAC), only allowing 15.5 points per game. It marked only the third season since 1996 (1996, 2020, 2024) that an Army defense surrendered under 220 total points or less on the season, and Army played its longest season ever, playing in 14 total games.

The defense also led the AAC in the fewest total yards allowed per game (297.9), the only team to yield 300 or fewer per game in the conference.

The defense was led by strong secondary play by safeties Max DiDomenico and Casey Larkin as the secondary logged 18 interceptions, the sixth most in the country, and it was Army’s most interceptions in a season since 1988.

DiDomenico was named to the AAC-All Conference First Team.

The middle of the Army defense was anchored by strong linebacking play from juniors Andon Thomas
and Kalib Fortner. Thomas posted 98.0 tackles and Fortner, 81.0 to pace the unit. Coming off the edge was sophomore Elo Modozie who led the team with 6.5 sacks.

Army’s defense also went on an impressive stretch of holding opponents to under 14 points in 10 of 14 games. Army’s defense held its opponents to 14 or less in seven straight games from Navy (2023) through UAB (10/12/24). It was Army’s longest streak of holding its opponent to 14 or less since between the 1966-67 seasons when Army did so eight times.

Army’s defense did not yield a touchdown in two consecutive games (Air Force and North Texas). The eight-quarter stretch was the longest by an Army defense since not allowing a touchdown in two consecutive games in 1984.

In 2023 Woody’s defense was instrumental in the Black Knights’ four-game winning streak to conclude the season. In Army’s four wins to end the season (Air Force, Holy Cross, Coastal Carolina and Navy) the defense only gave up an average of 12.25 points per game. Woody’s unit also had major performances in both service academy games, only allowing three points to Air Force and 11 points to Navy, marking only the fourth time in school history that the Army defense held both Navy and Air Force to 11 points or fewer in the same season (1981, 1986, 2020, 2023), as two of those have come under Woody. The Army defense finished as the 18th best redzone defense in the country, only allowing 16 TDs in 34 red zone opportunities by opponents.

His defense was led by major contributions from team captain LB Leo Lowin, S Quindrelin Hammonds, LB Kalib Fortner and CB Bo Nicolas-Paul. Lowin led the unit in tackles for the second consecutive season with 92 total tackles. He added 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks, and four forced fumbles that ranked tied for third most in the country. LB Kalib Fortner, Lowin’s understudy made the biggest defensive play of the season on the biggest stage in the Army-Navy Game strip-sacking Navy QB Tai Lavatai in the fourth quarter, picking up the fumble and returning it 44 yards for an Army touchdown to take a 17-3 lead, marking the first defensive touchdown scored by Army vs. Navy since 1958. Fortner was selected as the game MVP, also recording 10 tackles. Hammonds became the third Army defender (since 2005), to record a final stat line of at least 60+ tackles, 4+ TFLs, 2+ sacks, 3 INTs and 4 PDs, joining former Army defenders Elijah Riley (2019) and Brandon Jackson (2015). Nicolas-Paul recorded a career-high three interceptions which was tied for the team-high and had 33 tackles (23 solo), and two PDs.

In 2022, the defense saw consistent improvement throughout the season, behind Woody. During Army’s 5-2 finish, the defense only gave up 15.0 points per game. During this span, Army’s 105 points allowed were tied for the sixth fewest in the country. Army’s pass defense was also stellar throughout the entire season, finishing as the third-best pass defense in the country, yielding only 160.0 passing yards per game. Woody’s defense played a big role in the standout seasons of senior safety Marquel Broughton and junior linebacker Leo Lowin. Broughton, a two-time team captain totaled a career-high 88 tackles (46 solo), three interceptions, eight passes defensed, three tackles for loss, and forced two fumbles. His season totals marked the first time since 2014 (Jeremy Timpf) an Army defender has had 85+ tackles and 3+ INTs in a campaign. He finished his Army career with seven interceptions, which is T-2nd most by all Army defenders in interceptions since 2000, only trailing Donovan Travis, 2008-10, (11). After the season, Broughton was a first-team Phill Steele All-Independent selection. Lowin, accumulated a team-high 100 tackles, marking the first Army player to surpass 100+ tackles since Cole Christiansen (112) in 2019. He was also one of only three FBS players to record 100+ tackles, 3+ sacks and 2+ INTs on the season.

In 2021, Woody oversaw a defensive unit that surrendered under 20 points in five straight games to close out the season before the Armed Forces Bowl. The unit finished 15^th in the country in total defense, only giving up 328.4 yards per game. They also finished 38^th in the county yielding 211.1 passing yards per game. Woody’s unit was led by OLB Andre Carter who logged 15.5 sacks, which was second in the nation and the most in Army history beating Josh McNary’s mark of 12.5 sacks in 2009. Carter went on to become the first Associated Press All-American in 31 years.

In his first season as the defensive coordinator, Woody helped Army finish as the nation’s top defense, allowing just 275.3 yards per game in 2020. The Cadet’s 9-3 record was powered by Woody’s defensive 3-4 scheme that helped the Black Knights dominate in both the passing and ground game. Army allowed the second-fewest passing yards in the nation, giving up only 160.8 yards per game. Additionally, Woody’s run-stopping unit finished 18th in the country allowing only 114.6 yards per game on the ground against a schedule full of run-heavy offenses. The Black Knights also ranked in the country’s top 5 in scoring defense (2nd - 14.83 ppg), red-zone defense (2nd - .645 scoring pct.) and passing yards allowed (2nd - 160.8 ypg).

Woody helped Army bring the Commander-In-Chief Trophy back to West Point in his first season as the defensive coordinator, after his defense held Navy (W, 15-0) and Air Force (W, 10-7) to a combined seven points. The 15-0 shutout of Navy was the first time since Nov. 29, 1969, that Army shutout the Mids in America’s Game. Led by Woody and a veteran defensive unit, the Black Knights defense held their opponents to fewer than 10 points six times this season, a feat that had not been accomplished since 1966. Under Woody’s guidance, six Cadets earned spots on the Phil Steele 2020 All-Independent Team, including Second-Team All-American John Rhattigan. Woody brought his attacking 3-4 scheme to Army which he used to run Georgia Tech’s defense in 2018. He worked under then Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson, whom Monken was an assistant coach for with the Yellowjackets (2008-09), at Navy (2002-07) and at Georgia Southern (1997-01).

In 2018, the Yellowjackets’ defense had a nose for the football, as they were tied for fifth nationally in fumble recoveries (13), tied for 16thin total takeaways (25) and tied for 17thin defensive touchdowns (3).

Woody directed Appalachian State’s defense for five seasons. He took over a defense in 2013 that ranked eighth in the nine-team FCS Southern Conference in total defense the season before his arrival. Under Woody’s leadership, his unit led the Sun Belt Conference in total defense three times and ranked among the top 30 in NCAA Division I FBS each of his last four campaigns at Appalachian State (2014-17).

Over his final three seasons at Appalachian State, the Mountaineers had average FBS national rankings of 15th in scoring defense, 19th in total defense, 28th in rushing defense and 28th in passing defense. Appalachian also averaged 24 takeaways, 19 interceptions and 35 sacks per season over the last three campaigns.

During those three years, the Mountaineers won 30 games, two Sun Belt championships and became the first program to ever win bowl games in each of its first three seasons at the FBS level.

Appalachian State blanked Mid-American Conference champion Toledo, 34-0, at the 2017 Dollar General Bowl. The Mountaineers limited the nation’s eighth-ranked offense to just 146 total yards (364 yards below the Rockets’ season average) and had four takeaways.

Prior to Appalachian State, Woody spent the first 22 years of his collegiate coaching career at his alma mater, Wofford (1988-93, 1997-2012), including 13 successful seasons as defensive coordinator (2000-12).

In his 13 seasons leading the Wofford 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 his last three campaigns with the Terriers (2010 and 2012), and produced nine all-Americans and three SoCon Defensive Players of the Year.

In his final season at Wofford, the defense 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. The Terriers ranked among the top 10 in the FCS in total defense twice in his last three seasons — seventh in 2010 and ninth in 2012 — and led FCS (then known as Division I-AA) 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, 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.

Born in Burlington, N.C., Woody spent part of his childhood 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. He and his wife, Rebecca, have two sons, Nicolas and Jacob.