Iowa offensive coordinator Stu Cook has been with the program for five seasons, while defensive coordinator Matt Dufresne arrived in Iowa two seasons ago.

But it was the same intangible that drew them both to join the Yellow Jackets, head coach Tommy Johns’ down-to-earth, hands-off coaching style and the close-knit coaching staff that he created.

“Coach John’s does some really good things here that’s unique,” Dufresne said. “We talk about the buy-in, the all in, and he truly lets you coach. And that’s what’s really good about Coach John’s is, it’s not a, ‘Hey, I need you to do this.’ It’s, ‘We need to do this type thing.’

“He truly really does a good job of letting you be your own man and letting you run your own position. And then, at the end of the day, man, the proof’s in the pudding.”

Cook said no task is below Johns, who is willing to work side by side with his staff.

“Whether it’s the smallest of tasks or the dirtiest of tasks, whatever needs to get done, it gets done,” Cook said. “And then if he asks you to do it, he’s right there with you, which I enjoy that.

“I respect that. Basically, if he asks you to do it, he’s right there with you.”

Johns’ dedication to the program extends to maintaining the field.

“You’ll see him spend hours on that field the whole time, too,” Cook said. “I never realized how much that means to the kids until they walk out there and they take pride in the field that they have.

“And then you go to some other schools that (the) field’s terrible. And our kids just appreciate what he does doing all that work on the field.”

The staff has a mix of seasoned coaches, some of whom have been head coaches before, such as Chuck Gorman (offensive line), Phil Reynolds (secondary) and Dufresne, and young coaches such as former University of Houston tight end Christian Trahan (defensive line).

“And it’s a good mix of age, where you’ve got some guys that are kind of on the back end of their career, and some guys at the beginning of their career, and some in the middle,” Cook said. “So it really is a good blend of all.”

Also on the staff is Randy Baggett (secondary), Daniel Hennigan (tight ends, halfbacks), Cody Fontenot (wide receivers), Mark Fontenot (running backs), Adam Hardy (offensive line) and Riley Cormier (defensive line).

“Everyone says, ‘Man, y’all got a great staff over there,’” Dufresne said. “But we got really good people as well.”

Cook said he likes that the staff is unified in purpose and priorities.

“That’s another thing I think that we all blend really well personality-wise, so all of us kind of have the same belief system,” Cook said. “Our faith is a big priority.

“Our families are big priorities. And he has those same values. So I think that is what really attracts people to stay here, just because everybody all has the same beliefs.

“Everybody has their priorities kind of in the same order, which I think it’s a really good job of giving you the time you need when you need it. And he’s right there with you, believing in the same thing, too.”

Dufresne also credits an administration that has worked side by side with the athletic programs at the school.

“It has a lot to do with, obviously, our kids and the way they work and Coach Johns and the way he organized it, but it starts with administration,” Dufresne said. “They truly give us the resources and the means to do our job well, and it shows.