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New defensive line coach Tim Daoust met the media for the first time after practice on Monday and talked about why he came to Pitt, what he knows of the Panthers' defense, the current group of linemen and a lot more.

Here's video and a full rundown of what he said.

What’s been your first impression of Dayon Hayes?

Daoust: Yeah, Dayon, I mean, wow. Lots of ability. Lots of ability. And to Dayon’s credit as soon as Duzz hired me, get on the phone with him and he said, ‘Hey, what do I have to do? What do you see? What do I have to do to get better?’ So credit to him. Day one in the books and we have to keep working away, but a lot of ability out there. Big, strong kid. Obviously, an older guy, lot of experience, played a lot of ball. When he and get on the same page - if we’re going to have a great season here and a great defense, it’s going to start up front.

Have you been able to rely on him as a guy who can corral the room together as far as a leader for the other guys?

Daoust: I think the room right now, we’re in a position right now where there’s a lot of guys, hey, handle their own situation right now, each kid. And the leaders will kind of come, forcing themselves through the spring into spring practice. Obviously, he has the skill set to do that, but really a lot of guys honing in on their own craft right now.

You said Dayon asked you where he can improve, where he can get better; what kind of feedback did you give him?

Daoust: Instantly, because you see the ups and downs on the field, you see some flashes, you say, ‘Wow, you should be a guy at the Combine we’re talking about in a different light this time next year.’ And then you see some other things where he’s probably a little bit embarrassed and he probably lost mentally more than he did physically. So I tell him, being present in every meeting and every weightlifting session - and I say present, I’m talking about his mental, being present in every rep that you’re in. I think he’ll have a special year if we can get that done.

Charlie had obviously been here for a few years, well-respected coach. How do you approach being the guy after him and implementing your system?

Daoust: I will say this, and credit to Coach Partridge, he was one of the first people to reach out to me when I got the job. Great guy and I’ve learned from him before I got here and when I got here. I’ll tell you what: it beats the alternative of following a situation that was a train wreck, right? You come in here with a guy that was a great defensive line coach and the kids are well-coached and they really like football. So we’ll go in there and I just believe in being me. There’s a reason Coach Narduzzi brought me in here - probably multiple reasons, but one of them being the fit that he and I have with each other and the familiarity I have with this scheme and the passion I have for what we do defensively. So there’s really a pretty seamless transition. I think Coach Partridge and I are delivering the same message. Maybe in some different terms here and there, but those are a great group of kids and certainly they were said to see Coach P go, but I don’t see walls being built between me and those kids right now. They’re full-speed ahead and jumping into what I’m selling.

Did you have a personal connection with Charlie before?

Daoust: No. I was fortunate enough with my relationship to Coach Narduzzi - he’s another guy on this staff, we’ve talked football over the years, it’s how this profession works and I respect his work from afar.

It seems like Nahki has put on some weight. Do you still like him at defensive end or is he going to see some tackle?

Daoust: He’s going to play a lot of defensive tackle. A big kid, athletic, really like his frame. He’s got to get used to carrying that weight that he’s put on. I kind of jumped on him today.

Your hiring was announced less than a month ago, so I’m sure it’s been a jam-packed handful of weeks for you. How much are these spring practices a learning experience for you as you still get adjusted here?

Daoust: Well, the great thing is my familiarity with the scheme. Some words have changed over the years, the 20 years ago that Pat and I were together. But principles haven’t changed. It’s just marrying the right words with the same techniques that we’ve done for years and years and years, and then talking with a great group of guys on the defensive side of the ball and how we want to do things. But certainly, the biggest thing - I told the guys, ‘Hey, just get me to the right area of the right field at a certain time today, and then once we get there, we’ll get to work.’ And they were great. It was fun to get out there. This is the best time of the year to be a football coach, in my opinion.

Why do you and Pat mesh well together?

Daoust: When I was coming out of college and my first job in 2002, he was on that staff and I was able to learn under him and some other great coaches, and they molded the way I saw football, defensive football in particular, and how you approach kids and how you teach them and how you walk in the office everyday with a certain attitude and effort every single day. I remember he had a sign in his office every single day: ‘Attitudes are contagious; is yours worth catching?’ That was a sign in Coach Duzz’s office when I worked for him when I was very young, and that’s the truth. I think he and I see life and football very, very similarly. We both have a passion with everything we do, so there can be a lot of good to that, I hope.

I believe you worked with Cory Sanders in the past, too, right? As you were considering this opportunity, was that a factor as well, the opportunity to work with him again?

Daoust: Cory, to me - when Cory and I worked together, Coach Duzz called me about a secondary coach and I said, ‘This guy’s the real deal. He checks off all the boxes.’ And our friendship has just grown from there. So yes, I’ve had some inside information over years and years of things that go on here. Me and my family have watched Pitt football for the last decade that Pat’s been at the helm - when I was playing against him on the other sideline or when I was at some other institutions. Cory’s been a part of that, a great friend of mine, we talk football and life and everything. Cory’s as good as they get.