31.   He praised Dick Jauron, the defensive coordinator, and Lucious Selmon, the linebackers coach, as coaches who have kept open lines of communication with the players.

32.   He was a linebackers coach with the Giants, and then the defensive coordinator after Parcells and Belichick left.

33.   He put defensive backs coach Eric Mangini on the sideline and switched linebackers coach Robert Ryan to the press box.

34.   He turned down a position as linebackers coach last year but has said he would be interested in talking with OSU about the top job.

35.   He said linebacker coach Dave Adolph has been working with him all year.

36.   He spent the past two years working as a defensive assistant and linebackers coach.

37.   Hoefer, a former linebackers coach at Texas Tech, was hired to shore up a traditionally porous defense.

38.   It is expected that Al Groh, the linebacker coach and another former New England assistant under Parcells, will become defensive coordinator.

39.   John Bunting, another defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, concentrates on the running game.

40.   Johnson, an astute judge of talent on and off the field, quickly snatched him up as his linebackers coach.