I have a hard time believing that there are a lot of people out there who are more talented than Casey. He would be a hard guy not to hire.

We're really excited for Casey. He has really been a loyal assistant, a capable man. There's a time and place for everything and coach Bradley thought it was time for him to move on for some other opportunities.

We set a goal of being in the top 10. A lot of people thought that might be a lofty goal, but we're convinced we can develop into a good football team.

Our guys across the board are leaner, stronger and bigger. Our 40 times are lower. I'm convinced from top to bottom that we're a more athletic Division I-type of team.

Every once in awhile a guy will be two minutes late. It's something I can say after 20-plus years of coaching that we have a unique situation here. A big reason for our optimism is the work ethic.

We certainly are excited about entrusting our defense to two capable men. This last year we've really shown great strides in our defense so we felt it was really important we stay within the same system.