Question about recruiting tactics

[Killian]

In the Dick Rod thread, we had some opinions as to if it was ethical for Rodriguez to call Tyrell Pryor and recruit him to Michigan while he was still technically coach at WVU.

Here's another question for the BTPCF brain trust:

How do you feel about coaches who specifically target a school's recruits? So much so that some of the recruits have to change home and cell phone numbers to stop the phone calls?

On the same point, how do you feel if a coach specifically uses one of his committed players to target and call other teams recruits, in effect, turning his players into his own recruiters?

Curious to see your thoughts.

[buckeye_in_sc]

Interesting topic...

I know a few years back Justin Zwick was calling around to UN-committed recruits and trying to get them to go to OSU as has Michael Brewster...that I don't have a problem with...

I mean we do have to realize that these are 18 year old kids and in many cases are apt to change their mind...now if a coach is say egging them to change their minds through some questionable ways (in terms of words, not illegal shit)...then I have a problem with that...

the other thing I have a problem with is these supposed package deals...where a coach is targeting high profile recruit...but offers slightly less high profile recruit and wants slightly less high profile guy to help him get high profile guy or it is off...i have a huge problem with that...

that being said I felt what RR did was a little dickish...but then again where haven't we had questionable tactics...of course calling TP before breaking the news to your own players sucks ass...but hey...RR knows he needs talent in a hurry and where better to start then one of the top overall recruits...now not knowing TP's thoughts or whatever...I got a feeling he will go to OSU...but RR can provide a compelling case to go to Michigan...

interesting thread...be curious to hear others thoughts...

[King Crimson]

How do you feel about coaches who specifically target a school's recruits? So much so that some of the recruits have to change home and cell phone numbers to stop the phone calls?

well, you condition any "i feel OK about it" response with the second sentence. that's obviously not a desirable outcome that reflects badly on coach, institution, and sport. though, no doubt it may be accurate.

Dan Hawkins appear to clearly be targeting Nebraska de-commits....i think at least 3 former NU recruits are now CU commits (it may be the case that at least 1 i'm pretty sure of is a CO. kid, so i can see that....but, it's certainly not accidental otherwise).

i'd also take issue (again) with whichever Husker poster (HFAL, Danimal, or COrnhusker...forget) who said Hawkins was not a good recruiter. i disagreed then and i think the evidence is on the table that he is (kids really buy into his goofball new age i love you man stuff. CU is looking to land 3 top 100 players and looking good to sign one of the nation's best RB's in Darrell Scott. which, given that CU is 8-16 in his tenure is pretty impressive. CU's class is looking like a top 20 one, give or take. and the list of players showing interest in CU are also listing schools like Oregon, UCLA, Nebraska, etc. in Barnett's last 3-4 classes, CU was competing with Mountain West schools and ISU and KSU.

if you haven't seen Hawk's season weekly blog, you might enjoy his ruminations on Yoda, Van Morrison, eastern philosophy, and a bunch of other wacky motivational stuff all the while enjoying reading while Dan enjoys the smell of his own farts:

http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml ... ID=1354543

[buckeye_in_sc]

^^^^^^^^

What if slightly less regarded kid can't get Highly Regarded kid to go and coach pulls the offer? Then what? perhaps slightly regarded kid took other schools off the table that might have taken him in a heartbeat...

just a personal opinion...you go after who you want and be done with it...

[Killian]

Why? What is wrong with that?

Not to speak for buckeye_in_sc, but often times the lower rated prospect mysteriously doesn't end up with the offer once the big dog has committed.

King,

The reason why I threw that second part in there is because I fully understand that kids who committed to schools that made a coaching change (ie, Nebraska) or schools that had shitty seasons (ie, ND) are going to get calls. That's the nature of the business. But when they repeatedly tell coaches no, and then have to change phone numbers in an effort to stop the calls, that's a different story.

[WolverineSteve]

There are all types of reports of schools trying to poach UM commits since Lloyd's announcement a month ago. When a coach changes I guess everything is back open. UM will lose some guys but will gain others they would not have gotten. Alot of guys would stay if their position coach is retained even with a change at HC. Some guys will stay no matter what because they've always wanted to play at UM. I think coaches that call recruits to the point of harrasment should find themselves on every telemarketers call sheet. It's got to be annoying.

I don't have a problem with the Pryor thing. If he wants to go to WVU he can. RR has built a relationship with the kid, the kid likes RR's offense. It's not like Pryor would've signed with WVU and been suprised to find out that RR was gone. Kids like coaches. Many have no loyalty to any particular school. It stands to reason that if a coach goes, some of his recruits will follow. Didn't some kids follow Zook, Meyer, etc.?

[Danimal]

How do you feel about coaches who specifically target a school's recruits? So much so that some of the recruits have to change home and cell phone numbers to stop the phone calls?

well, you condition any "i feel OK about it" response with the second sentence. that's obviously not a desirable outcome that reflects badly on coach, institution, and sport. though, no doubt it may be accurate.

Dan Hawkins appear to clearly be targeting Nebraska de-commits....i think at least 3 former NU recruits are now CU commits (it may be the case that at least 1 i'm pretty sure of is a CO. kid, so i can see that....but, it's certainly not accidental otherwise).

i'd also take issue (again) with whichever Husker poster (HFAL, Danimal, or COrnhusker...forget) who said Hawkins was not a good recruiter. i disagreed then and i think the evidence is on the table that he is (kids really buy into his goofball new age i love you man stuff. CU is looking to land 3 top 100 players and looking good to sign one of the nation's best RB's in Darrell Scott. which, given that CU is 8-16 in his tenure is pretty impressive. CU's class is looking like a top 20 one, give or take. and the list of players showing interest in CU are also listing schools like Oregon, UCLA, Nebraska, etc. in Barnett's last 3-4 classes, CU was competing with Mountain West schools and ISU and KSU.

if you haven't seen Hawk's season weekly blog, you might enjoy his ruminations on Yoda, Van Morrison, eastern philosophy, and a bunch of other wacky motivational stuff all the while enjoying reading while Dan enjoys the smell of his own farts:

http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml ... ID=1354543

I didn't say he wasn't a good recruiter. I said he wasn't the snake-oil type(promise-maker, bullshitter) that could sell a bad team and that he'd have to get things going first. Ya his overall record sucks but CU made a lot of progress this year. They look like a team coming-up and recruits are responding to that. Recruits are responding to Hawkins but if CU had another crappy year I don't think they would be having a recruiting-surge.

[SoCalTrjn]

I think that if a player says "please stop calling me" than the coach should stop calling.
What I dont like is if the player decides to go to one school the coach then starts working on the players parent(s). There was a player in a class or so ago that had lived back on the east coast with his mom who hated his father. The player wanted to go to a west coast team and had verbaled pretty early, the players dad lived near the school the player had verbally commited to go to.
The coach of the east coast school then started going after the players mom, convinced her to throw him out of her house if he didnt change his mind and go to the east coast school
There was another player who had signed his letter and sent it in but his step father wouldnt sign it because he wanted the player to go to a different school, drug the thing on for a couple weeks after signing day before finally allowing the player to go to the schoo he wanted to go to.
goes both ways, I heard that a player who wound up at USC wanted to go to a school farther from home but his mom wanted him to stay where she could keep an eye on him, turned out to be what was best for the player.... who never really played for USC after he could never make grades.



As for using other recruits to help recruit, I have no problem with that unless a player visits a school he is not planning on going to just to try to recruit other players visiting that school that weekend.









We now have 13.5 months til Matt Barkley officially signs with the Trojans, lets see if all the other coaches will stop calling him after he tells them he is not considering any other schools

[Cornhusker]

How do you feel about coaches who specifically target a school's recruits? So much so that some of the recruits have to change home and cell phone numbers to stop the phone calls?

well, you condition any "i feel OK about it" response with the second sentence. that's obviously not a desirable outcome that reflects badly on coach, institution, and sport. though, no doubt it may be accurate.

Dan Hawkins appear to clearly be targeting Nebraska de-commits....i think at least 3 former NU recruits are now CU commits (it may be the case that at least 1 i'm pretty sure of is a CO. kid, so i can see that....but, it's certainly not accidental otherwise).

i'd also take issue (again) with whichever Husker poster (HFAL, Danimal, or COrnhusker...forget) who said Hawkins was not a good recruiter. i disagreed then and i think the evidence is on the table that he is (kids really buy into his goofball new age i love you man stuff. CU is looking to land 3 top 100 players and looking good to sign one of the nation's best RB's in Darrell Scott. which, given that CU is 8-16 in his tenure is pretty impressive. CU's class is looking like a top 20 one, give or take. and the list of players showing interest in CU are also listing schools like Oregon, UCLA, Nebraska, etc. in Barnett's last 3-4 classes, CU was competing with Mountain West schools and ISU and KSU.

if you haven't seen Hawk's season weekly blog, you might enjoy his ruminations on Yoda, Van Morrison, eastern philosophy, and a bunch of other wacky motivational stuff all the while enjoying reading while Dan enjoys the smell of his own farts:

http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml ... ID=1354543

Nor was it me...Hawkins is quirky and a somewhat different cat, (much as you stated in his blog history.) I think he fits the whole "Boulder atmosphere." He can get kids to listen and probably relates to a certain type of kid that some may not.

As far as recruiting NU de-commits, I understand it as more recruiting kids that were still verballed to NU, but "looking around."
Williams, Rippy, and Mohler I believe fit that bill.

He was quick to jump at them, and to convience 4 guys to switch makes you wonder.

[MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan]

I'm pretty much in agreement with BtH on this. Unless the kid says "Stop calling me" there's nothing wrong with still trying to change his mind even if he's verbally committed to another school.

As far as Hawk going after NU de-commits, that just makes good football sense. Not only are we adding talent to our own team, but we're taking it away from a division rival.

I don't have a problem with recruiting a less talented kid because of his ties to a 5-star guy either, as long as teams uphold their offer to the lower-rated player. Josh Smith is a solid WR in his own right and will likely be a 3-year starter for CU, but you can't tell me that Hawk was completely unaware that he was Darrell Scott's uncle when he was recruiting him a year ago. If you can land a stud by taking one of his friends, why the hell not? Just don't bail on the friend if the stud goes elsewhere.

When it comes to Hawk's New Age, Zen master shit, I just try to take it with a grain of salt. It reminds me a little too much of Neuweasel at times, but as long as he keeps winning and runs a clean program, I can put up with his Yoda fetish...

[SoCalTrjn]

we ever find out which coaches are calling players not interested in their school so much that HS seniors are having to change their home and cel phone numbers?

[Killian]

I'll post that after the recruiting season is over.