SAN DIEGO - There's a price to pay for dominating any sport, as San Diego has accomplished in football, winning or sharing the Pioneer Football League title six of the past seven years. Sooner or later, schools raid your coaching staff.

And so it unfolded after the 2017 season. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, who made his head coaching debut at USD, swooped in and grabbed Toreros assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand. Defensive coordinator Steve Irvin departed for UNLV. Tight ends and special teams coach Ronnie Pentz was gobbled up by New Mexico State.

"My question is, what took other people so long to realize they're good coaches?" said Toreros head coach Dale Lindsey. "You're not going to win just because you have players. You have to have players, but you must have good coaches, too. Those three who left? They were good coaches and good recruiters."

Thus, the Toreros coaching staff has undergone significant changes. Offensive line coach Jim Jackson and former receivers coach Christian Taylor have been elevated to co-offensive coordinators. Secondary coach Bobby Jay has been promoted to defensive coordinator.

Equally significant, Lindsey has hired three new assistants. Joe Staab is the new nickel backs coach. Cory White will handle tight ends. Taylor Chapatte will coach wide receivers.

Interestingly, all three have San Diego roots, having played high school football locally. Staab and White coached previously at USD under Lindsey.

"When we're looking at coaches, I'm not really interested in what you're doing or where you are," Lindsey said. "I'm interested in are you going to fit with the other seven or eight guys here? If you have something better to offer, something new, great.

"If not, we have a good system here on both sides of the ball and special teams. We put all our egos aside. We don't care who gets the credit as long as we win."

Here's a closer look at USD's three new assistant football coaches.

Joe Staab

Joe Staab: Staab, 32, is a Grossmont High alum. He played safety under Lindsey at USD and also coached the secondary under Lindsey. His coaching stops include San Jose State and Division II Notre Dame College in Cleveland.

"I love USD," Staab said. "It's where I went to school. It's very important to me. I love everything the school stands for, academically and the Catholic faith."

On working with the veteran Lindsey, Staab said, "I love it because you're learning something new every day. He's probably forgotten more (about football) than most people know."

Said Lindsey, "Joe is one of those guys, this is all he ever wanted to do. He works at it extremely hard. He has a good knack for recruiting and does a good job of relating to the players."

Cory White

Cory White: White, 40, played football at Mission Bay High and is a third-generation San Diegan. He previously coached tight ends and the offensive line under Lindsey at USD. He has coached collegiately at Humboldt State, Whittier, San Diego Mesa Community College, Chapman and New Mexico State.

White coached Humboldt State's offensive line the past two years. In last month's NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Humboldt tackle Alex Cappa in the third round, the highest a Humboldt player has ever been taken in the draft.

Asked why he returned to USD, White said, "To work for Dale again and be a part of the program. The coaching staff is really close. I like working with these guys."

Regarding White, Lindsey said, "He's dedicated, a good evaluator and he's committed to being in football for his lifeline."

Taylor Chapatte

Taylor Chapatte: Chapatte, 28, is a Mt. Carmel High product. His coaching experience includes stints at Redlands and Puget Sound, where he was most recently the offensive coordinator.

Chapatte said he was drawn to USD because, "It's a phenomenal program. I've got to know the staff the past five years. It's a great group of guys. They win."

Noting that non-scholarship USD scored the PFL's first Football Championship Subdivision playoff wins the past two years against full-scholarship Big Sky teams, Chapatte added, "That's good football."

Lindsey said that Chapatte's experience as a play caller will help Jackson and Taylor in their new roles as co-offensive coordinators.

As to what he thinks of his new staff, Lindsey was his typical blunt self.

"I think it's good," he said. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have hired 'em."