The name has stuck with John Chavis for nearly his entire life.From winning a national title with the Tennessee Volunteers to assuming command as LSU’s new defensive coordinator, it’s never long before he’s known simply as “chief” to players and peers alike.”My mother was full-blooded Cherokee, and my dad was Lumbee, and it’s a name that stuck early in life,” Chavis said. “It has to do with a heritage, and I’m kind of glad that it stuck.”But from watching Chavis’ fiery personality with the LSU defense, one might assume he got the moniker from other means.”He is the chief,” said junior linebacker Kelvin Sheppard. “When he’s out there, everybody gives him the utmost respect, and when he says something, it’s going to happen.”His intense approach is understandable, as Chavis’ move from Tennessee to LSU is expected to restore a Tiger defense which dropped from No. 3 nationally in total defense in 2007 to No. 32 in 2008.”His emotion and his swagger just connected from day one,” said senior linebacker Harry Coleman. “Just playing under him just makes you want to do good, makes you want to play better. And you don’t want him to holler at you. That’s never good.”Chavis comes to LSU after 14 seasons with the Volunteers, where he captured the 1998 Southeastern Conference and national championships with former coach Philip Fulmer.”Not only was I in one spot for a long time, but I was with the same coaching staff for a long time,” Chavis said. “When we got started in the spring, after the second or third day, it felt like home. It felt like my players. It felt like my school and I’m a part of LSU, and I can’t be any happier about that.”Chavis’ final Tennessee defense finished last season as the nation’s third-best defense, despite the team having just a 5-7 record. The Volunteers were the only losing program with a defense ranked No. 25 or better.That fact wasn’t lost on LSU coach Les Miles, who last fall witnessed the Tigers’ biggest defensive dip in eight seasons and the worst of his tenure.”There was an existing culture of dominant defense played here,” Miles said. “Our guys know that price and look forward to it. They wanted it, and it’s who they are.”That price has been made known at offseason workouts and practices. Miles said the team underwent a rigorous conditioning program, and Chavis has opened the defense to competition. But so far the transition has been seamless for the Tigers’ new defensive coordinator.”There’s not one position on our defensive football team where there’s not competition,” Chavis said. “Competition is a driving force to being great.”Joining Chavis on the coaching staff are secondary coach Ron Cooper and defensive line coach Brick Haley to shore up setbacks in last season’s defensive backfield and front line. Cooper was a defensive backs coach with two top-five pass defenses nationally at South Carolina, while Haley comes back to the college game after a stint with the NFL’s Chicago Bears.”Defensively, the enthusiasm with which the new coaches have taken hold and how it’s been met with an equal commitment with our players, it just seems like a lot of fun,” Miles said.Cooper said the collaboration with Chavis and Haley has been a familiar one. Chavis and Cooper both had coaching stints at Alabama A&M, Haley’s alma mater, and all three men have held various jobs in the SEC in the past 15 years.”The three of us that came in have known each other for years,” Cooper said. “Everybody brings a little bit of something to the table … We’ve all got a job to do, and we’ve got to work together.”The trio has an abundance of talent to help regain the defensive mojo. Four of Miles’ five recruiting classes at LSU have been ranked in the top 10 nationally, and many of the Tigers’ projected starters were highly-touted high school recruits.It’s safe to say the LSU defense has become a “Chief” concern.”There’s no question in my mind that we have the talent to become a very good defense,” Chavis said. “You’ve got to make sure you’re asking them to do the things they know how to do. That way they can play more aggressively and cut it loose.”—-Contact David Helman at [email protected]