CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 SPORTS)-- The Friday night lights at Charlottesville High School were like a beacon calling Jeff Woody home.

"It's closer to my children that's the main reason why I came up," said Charlottesville football coach Jeff Woody, "Plus it's a gold mine up here and I don't think people know it yet."

The 5 minute commute to work was attractive but it's the opportunity that lies on the CHS field that Coach Woody couldn't pass up.

"Coming into Charlottesville High School is like we got a quirt gun, a water gun and I'm walking to hell and we got to put the fire out," said Woody "And second, this is an opportunity to rebuild and make this place appreciated a little bit more on that football field."

Woody returns to Charlottesville with a track record of success. Over the course of his 18 year career Woody has coached at Brookville, Monticello and EC Glass compiling a 158-53 record, 15 trips to the postseason and two state championships. His most recent stop at EC Glass started with a 1-9 season and ended with a VHSL state semifinals appearance last year. But transforming a team that's lost 39 of their last 46 games doesn't start in the huddle, it's starts in their head.

"He's made me feel like I really have a chance here," said Charlottesville senior wide receiver Travis Walker, "He's showing me that I have talent. He's giving me all the outlets to showcase my potential."

"I think that it's about just changing how people's mentality is going into the season," said Charlottesville senior linebacker Thomas Slingluff, "Instead of just going into the season as I want to just play and whatever happens happens into actually like I'm going to be the best football player I can and have a successful season."

"We have to have them walking onto the field every Friday night expecting to win," said Woody, "We're the best team out here, we're smarter than you, we've worked harder than you, we're faster bigger, stronger than you. And man that's the struggle we got a lot to do."

It's a culture change that extends beyond the field and into the stands. Where the Black Knights hope to see a renewed energy under the Friday night lights.

"I think the perception of CHS football is everyone around the school, people talk about it as being bad but I think that with Coach Woody and his record and what's to come this season we're going to get more people out at CHS and get better," said Slingluff.

"We're not the same CHS from last year," said Walker, "We're definitely building, like we're really building blocks right now and we're going to keep getting better every day y'all will see a different Charlottesville."