Georgia Tech officially named Nate Woody its new defensive coordinator Saturday, announcing the hire in a news release. He will be introduced at a news conference Tuesday.
Woody, 57, comes to Tech after five seasons as defensive coordinator at Appalachian State, where he shaped the Mountaineers defense into one of the top units in FBS. He replaces Ted Roof, who left Tech to be the co-defensive coordinator at N.C. State after his own five-year run at his alma mater.
Woody's impending hire was first reported by the AJC on Dec. 27.
“I’m excited to have Nate Woody join our staff and lead our defense,” coach Paul Johnson said in a statement. “He’s achieved a lot of success and helped his teams win a lot of games at Appalachian State and Wofford. I think he’s a great fit for our program.”
Woody’s defenses have been characterized by their 3-4 scheme, but also their aggressive style. The Mountaineers finished the season ranked 18th nationally in sacks per game, tied for 16th in takeaways and tied for 21st in scoring defense.
“I’m grateful to coach Johnson for the opportunity to be a Yellow Jackets,” Woody said in a statement. “I can’t wait to get with our staff and start working to build a tenacious defense that will motivate our student-athletes, excite our fans and help Tech win games.”
Before Appalachian State, Woody coached for 22 seasons at Wofford, his alma mater.
In the news release, the school also confirmed that defensive line coach Mike Pelton will not be retained. Woody has also made the decision to retain safeties coach Andy McCollum and cornerbacks coach Joe Speed.
Tech has two more positions to fill.
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