make a big difference in the season.

However, I do believe that defense is more than effort and athleticism. The right philosophy is most important, imo. Defensive philosophy seems to be what distinguishes great coaches. Great coaches are able to outperform with less talent every year because they understand the most important priorities to increase the likelihood of getting stops.

Steve Fisher of SDSU is one of the best of many examples. Of course, it is better to have great athletes and the right philosophy. I believe BYU has better athletes than most others but the Cougars have seemingly ignored the indicators of modern advanced stats when it comes to implementing smart defense.