HARRISONBURG — It all goes back to the Air Force Academy for James Madison defensive coordinator Bob Trott.

His first full-time assistant job was there, working as coach Bill Parcells’ outside linebackers coach in 1978.

“We sort of developed this [defense] when I was at Air Force,” Trott said. “But a lot of the principles and things we talk about in our program, I even tell the players that this is what Parcells used to say all the time.”

JMU put together a record-setting year on defense this past season, racking up an FCS best 31 interceptions and 51 sacks while boasting the top-scoring unit (11.1 points per game).

Trott said he catches up with Parcells about once a year. Trott worked again for Parcells from 1993 to 1996 as his defensive backs coach when Parcells had taken over as coach of the New England Patriots.

And it’s through Parcells’ coaching tree that Trott knows current Pats coach Bill Belichick.

Tonight, ESPN airs a 30 For 30 documentary “The Two Bills” on the relationship between Belichick and Parcells. Trott is familiar with both Super Bowl-winning coaches, having worked for, exchange ideas with and developed philosophies together that have proven successful over time at both the NFL and collegiate levels.

“That came through Al Groh,” Trott said about how he landed the gig on Parcells’ Air Force staff. “Groh was a 2nd Lieutenant at West Point when coach Parcells was a young defensive line coach and actually, Groh, Ken Hatfield and Ray Handley were all 2nd Lieutenants, so when Bill got his first job at Air Force, he hired those three guys.”

Groh recommended Trott for one of the openings Parcells had after leaving North Carolina, where he was in charge of linebackers, and Trott was the grad assistant. Trott broke into the NFL on Handley’s New York Giants staff.

Handley became the Giants coach after Parcells retired for the first time due to health concerns following the Super Bowl XXV victory over Buffalo.

“Over the years, I’ve run [the defense],” Trott said. “In the NFL, we were more of a true 3-4 team, but the same principles applied. Run defense and pass defense, it was the same, but it wasn’t unusual because in coaching you coach what you know and I’ve been pretty fortunate being a lot of places, but we do the same stuff.

“But I think it comes down to not just the scheme but the players and how well they buy into it and the chemistry of the team. That’s the thing people don’t realize. Every team is different and the chemistry of the team is different every year and that’s really what gets you wins and losses, it’s not the scheme. And that’s why I think Parcells would be very proud of what we have done here because we’re a complimentary team.

“And I can tell you, I’ve heard that a lot of times.”

Trott said Belichick believes in a lot of the same basics that Parcells instilled.

Trott never worked with Belichick, but Trott did work for former Belichick assistant Romeo Crennel in Cleveland and Belichick spent 12 seasons working for Parcells.

Belichick and Trott initially met when Belichick took a trip to Arkansas to scout former Denver Broncos safety Steve Atwater. Trott was the defensive coordinator at Arkansas in the late 1980s.

“Through Groh and those guys, we just always would talk and even though I never worked for him, you’re still part of the tribe,” Trott said. “And I guess if you work for Parcells, you get a badge of honor.

“But back in the NFL, we’d email stuff back and forth and I don’t know, we just always had some kind of relationship.”

Trott recognized the same parts of the game that mattered to him, also mattered to Belichick.

There was common ground.

“Special teams, good defense and an efficient offense,” Trott said. “I see the same formula with the Patriots.

“And Bill [Parcells] would always talk about all those little things with wearing the right shoes, running the ball with weather in New York, knowing the kicker has to kick in bad weather. All those little things were important and Belichick is the same way.

“There isn’t a lot of things that they miss, so I see a lot of what [Parcells] taught and that’s the way Belichick learned it.”