Eric Gentry probably doesn't mean to make it so overt that he didn't fully connect with the previous defensive coaching staff, or pieces of it at least, but he can't hide his smile when asked about his connection with new USC linebackers coach Matt Entz or what's different for him in general this year.

"Just the coaching staff. It ain't no shots or nothing, but the coaching staff -- the coaching staff helps us a lot," he said this past week, when asked to compare or contrast how he felt at the end of last season to now.

Gentry talked with media Wednesday for the first time this preseason, and in an interview that lasted less than 4 minutes he managed to fit in six different responses that all came back to that same premise -- that the arrival of new defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn along with Entz as his position coach has given him a needed fresh start of sorts and the potential, he believes, to have his best season yet.

"That's my guy. Shoutout Coach Entz, man. There's nothing more I could ask for out of a coach, for real, for real. It's been everything I asked for, so I'm just trying to give him everything he asks for as a player," Gentry said. "... It's an open book for both of us. Coach is listening to what the players got to say, players understand completely what the coach has got to say. So that's really the biggest thing."

Asked what the new defensive scheme allows him to do differently this year, Gentry yet again brought it back to the coaches.

"A lot of stuff. It's a lot. But just being able to talk to the coaches, for real, for real," he said. "... Just being able to [not] overthink or worry about doing your assignment -- instead just make the play. That's the biggest thing. I think we was more on other stuff instead of playing football [before]. I think it's way more straightforward this year and I feel NFL style. That's the biggest thing."