Army West Point Black Knights Defensive Coach Nominated for Broyles Award

One of the Army West Point Black Knights’ top assistant coaches is up for one of the game’s most prestigious awards.

Army football defensive coordinator Nate Woody during practice on July 30, 2024. / Patrick Oehler/Poughkeepsie Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Army West Point is off to a great season, even after falling to Notre Dame last week. The coaching staff is reaping the benefit.

Black Knights defensive coordinator Nate Woody is one of the 65 nominees for the Broyles Award, given to college football’s top assistant coach.

The nominees were selected from the approximate 1,500 assistant coaches in FBS.

A selection committee of former head coaches, broadcasters and a committee representing the Football Writers Association of America will select 15 semi-finalists, five finalists from the list of nominees and an overall winner.

Woody has been the defensive coordinator at Army for the past five seasons and has been a key part of the program’s success in 2024.

The 33-year coaching veteran has been a defensive coordinator for 22 years. Before Army, he was 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).

Entering Saturday’s game with UTSA the Black Knights (9-1, 7-0 in American) lead the country in red zone defense, with opponents scoring just 53.8% of the time. The defense is tied for sixth in scoring defense (14.2 ppg) and has allowed fewer than seven points in four games.

Army also went an eight-quarter stretch without allowing a touchdown, the first time the program did so since 1984.

The Black Knights have already clinched a berth in the American Athletic Conference championship game next Friday against Tulane. Army is looking to win on Saturday to secure an undefeated league slate in this first season in the AAC.

Army joined the AAC this year as an affiliate member, ending a longstanding stretch of being an independent program, with the exception of seven years in Conference USA.

While in C-USA, the Black Knights never won more than two games.

Among the other things Army is on the verge of accomplishing is a 10-win season, something the Black Knights haven’t done since they won 11 games in 2018. Army also won 10 games in 2017.

The Black Knights have never won 12 games in a single season, but that also remains on the table, as they have four games remaining — UTSA, the AAC title game, Navy and a bowl game.   

The Broyles Award. It is named for former Arkansas head football coach and athletic director Frank Broyles, who was renowned for his ability to identify and developing great assistants. His assistants included Joe Gibbs, Raymond Berry, Johnny Majors, Doug Dickey, Barry Switzer, Jimmy Johnson, Hayden Fry and Jackie Sherrill.