Reading between the lines, it seems possible (if not likely) it would’ve taken some convincing to get Smith back here. Probably a good deal of negotiation and coordination with the DB opening and getting the co-coordinator from JM on staff.
Following Smith’s season at Duke in 2022, would it not stand to reason that he would’ve been pretty marketable in the DC space? He chose to step down and spend time with his family, but by all counts he worked a borderline miracle at Duke, no? He took a dreadful 3-9 team in 2021 and turned their defense around under his watch as DC which led to a 9-4 season in 2022. What am I missing here?