Benny Boyd

Benny Boyd

Benny Boyd is entering his third season with the North Dakota football program. After spending his first season coaching the cornerbacks and second working with the safeties, Boyd will add the duties of special teams coordinator to his work load.

In 2012 while serving as the assistant special teams coordinator, the unit blocked seven kicks, including one punt and also ran a kickoff back for a touchdown during the season. Boyd's safeties accounted for four of the team's eight interceptions and sophomore Baylee Carr led the team with 57 total tackles. 

In 2011, Boyd's cornerbacks helped the UND rank among the top of the Great West Conference in several categories, including total defense and scoring defense. His unit combined for 17 pass breakups, two interceptions and one fumble recovery during a season that resulted in a Co-Great West Conference title.

Freshman Daryl Brown was responsible for those two interceptions as the redshirt freshman added 30 total tackles and four pass breakups en route to earning a spot on the College Sports Journal FCA All-Freshman team.

Boyd served as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Luther College before taking the post at UND. During the 2011 summer, he spent the NFL preseason working with the Pittsburgh Steelers as part of the Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship Program.

In his nine seasons at Luther, his defensive backs earned 19 all-conference accolades and Sam McDonald earned honorable mention All-America honors in 2005. Norse linebacker Kyle McGivney set the NCAA Division III record for single-season tackles last season, registering a national-best 198 in 10 contests.

Boyd also guided a trio of defensive backs to all-conference honors as a graduate assistant at Aurora University. During his playing days for the Spartans, he was a three-year starter at cornerback and a two-time all-conference performer. The Dixon, Ill., native earned a bachelor's degree and master's degree in social work from the institution.