Control of locker room and great position coaches are key

Agree completely. Posted this last night and 90 % ranted bc of lack of experience calling a D. I honestly think the call is as important as everyone knowing their assignment and playing aggressive. The biggest problems we had last year related to not knowing where to line up or what was the assignment. If guys are confident in those things, they can play aggressive. We rarely saw that the first 7 games of 2020.

I am an admitted critic of this hire, and even I can recognize that this is a significant plus regarding this hire. DJ seems to be well-liked and well-respected by his players, and I think that is a very important attribute, especially with where we were as a team last year/this offseason. I am still skeptical overall, but i can absolutely admit that OP has identified at least one significant positive with respect to this hire.