Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll admitted he felt right at home with defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr.
Norton Jr returned to Seattle during the offseason after Kris Richard was fired along with Darrell Bevell and Tom Cable.
The 52-year-old had previously spent four years under Carroll as a linebackers coach joining him from USC but he left in 2014 to join the Oakland Raiders as their defensive coordinator.
Carroll said of his fellow coach: “Getting Ken Norton back was hugely important. I coached Ken years ago at San Francisco (49ers) on the staff and have always love his spirit.
“His love for the game and how he connects with players around him. When he was a player he did, I’d ask him never change and be that same spirit he always had in his coaching, which he has done.
“To have him back on our staff, part of the programme, part of the fabric and culture what we are all about is really important to me.
“There has nobody that has been more successful, nobody that has ever played tougher or competed at a higher level.
“He also embodies this thought he wants to share all his experiences with the players he works with and that is more important to him than anything else in his work.
“And I have just always loved that about him so it is great to have him back I feel very much at home and comfortable with him on our side.”
Norton Jr spent some aways away from the Hawks, staying the Raiders until 2017 before becoming the 49ers assistant coach for one week before Seattle asked him to return to CenturyLink.
He has said in the past spending some years away was good for him to spend some time away from the team to get another view – something the head coach agreed with.
“There is no question you can learn from seeing things from another perspective,” Carroll added.
“Not always do you wind up appreciating where you have come from but in this case I think he did. But even more so he has been challenged by the change of outlooks.
“He comes back and he has more variety. I think it was very instrumental for him to grow but for also you get excited about learning new things to do.
“Ken has a lot of impact in our programme, he has a big opportunity to impact those players. I love having him around.”