I’m not sure why having “southern ties” is such an important aspect, particularly when it is your defensive line coach. Your defensive line and offensive line are developmental positions. You need guys who can actually coach those positions in those spots. Whether they have southern ties or ties to Russia, if they can coach, it shouldn’t matter. Jeff Phelps is a dang good defensive line coach. I caught flack for saying this elsewhere, but Deke Adams had ties to Mississippi and was very meh as a defensive line coach.