I’m always interested in teams that can do more with less. Appalachian State has been one of those teams. Starting in 2014, the Mountaineers began playing in the FBS (D1). They had instant success going 7-5 and couldn’t play in a bowl due to NCAA eligibility rules. The following year (2015) would be even better. App. State would end the season with an 11 win season only losing to Clemson and eventual Sun Belt conference champion in Arkansas St. (9-4/8-0). 2015 would also see the defense reach the top 25 in Defensive Efficiency. Outside of ’17, the defense has held a spot in the top 25, even reaching #6 in ’18. Impressive for a team that six seasons ago was playing in the FCS (D-1AA).
Nate Woody (current Army DC) would lead the Mountaineers until 2017 when he left to be the DC at Georgia Tech with former Head Coach Paul Johnson. Defensive back coach, Bryan Brown (DC, Louisville) would step into his place and have instant success. The defense would see its best year since joining the FBS. Head Coach Scott Satterfield would leave after 2018 and take the Louisville job, Brown would also follow him. Then NC State OC Eli Drinkwitz and DC Ted Roof (also from NC State) would leave their posts in Raleigh and head west to Boone. Again the defense would dominant the Sun Belt and finish in the top 25 in DEff. “Drink” would parlay the success of ’19 into the Head Coaching job at Missouri. Roof would leave for the DC job at Vanderbilt.