Papuchis a force on the recruiting trail for the Huskers

[Nexus]

It’s waiting for an answer that sometimes proves the toughest part.

 

The rest is something of a whirlwind: The plane trips, phone calls and text messages. The meet-and-greets with coaches, counselors and mothers who offer a cup of coffee and a seat on their living room couch.

 

By the time the coffee runs cold, it’s time to get on another plane, perhaps one taking you to another stranger’s living room.

 

Taxing, challenging and sometimes humbling ? yes, recruiting is all of that.

 

But there’s also fun to be had in the pursuit of finding 18-year-olds to join you in chasing football excellence. At least that’s what John Papuchis says.

 

And right now the Husker assistant coach would seem a fitting source on the subject.

 

“I enjoy going into someone’s living room and talking about the positive aspects of the program and why Nebraska could be such a great fit for them,” Papuchis said. “I think enjoying it is part of having success at doing it.”

 

Papuchis knows of recruiting success. He may be Nebraska’s youngest full-time assistant at age 31, but the defensive ends coach has played a lead role in gaining five of Nebraska’s 18 commitments in the 2010 class.

 

Defensive linemen Walker Ashburn, Chase Rome, Tobi Okuyemi, Jay Guy and Donovan Vestal all picked Nebraska after being courted by Papuchis.

 

“He’s straightforward just like Coach Bo (Pelini) is,” Ashburn said. “Like I told all my recruiters when they started recruiting me, ‘If you’re going to recruit me, be straight up with me. Don’t give me that used-car salesman pitch. I’d rather someone be honest with me instead of trying to lie to me, saying, ‘Oh, we’re going to do this with you and that with you.’ He didn’t do that. He didn’t (B.S.) me.”

 

Whatever the technique, it’s working for the even-keeled coach.

 

Papuchis has also been a key recruiter in the pursuit of defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa, the five-star prospect who will announce Wednesday if Nebraska is the place for him.

 

There’s that waiting game we were talking about.

 

“I’m a little anxious to get to Wednesday,” Papuchis admitted. “But it will get here soon enough.”

 

So what’s it like when you get your man? What are the emotions of a coach when a recruit he’s been talking to for months, sometimes years, says he’s coming to your school?

 

“A little bit of relief for me. That’s probably the biggest feeling,” Papuchis said. “I would compare it to probably the feeling after we win games.”

 

In his first two years at Nebraska, Papuchis had a hand in recruiting defensive end Jason Ankrah, Rex Burkhead, Khiry Cooper and P.J. Smith ? all players who seem to have a bright future at NU. (In Burkhead’s case, Husker assistant Tim Beck was also a lead recruiter. And Ron Brown was very important in the recruitment of Cooper.)

 

That’s an impressive recruiting track record for anyone, let alone someone in his third year as a full-time assistant coach.

 

“Recruiting is a very competitive, time-committed deal,” Papuchis said. “And I don’t want to lose to anybody. That’s the way I’ve always gone about it.”

 

Papuchis acknowledges there’s been learning experiences along the way. But every visit to a living room provides a greater comfort level.

 

And it’s those visits with players and the people closest to them that are every bit as valuable to Papuchis as four minutes of grainy football highlights.

 

“We evaluate all aspects while we’re recruiting -- who they are, their character, how they perform in the classroom and obviously what type of football player they are,” Papuchis said. “And that doesn’t always show up on a highlight film. A lot of times we look for technique, their effort level that they play the game with, and try to judge what type of upside they have as a player. Down the line, in our system with our coaching staff, what kind of player will they become.”

 

Papuchis said Pelini’s program stresses building trust, and that all begins in recruiting.

 

That’s why he said Husker coaches only promise recruits one thing: The chance to compete.

 

“With that being said, there’s never any false promises laid out,” Papuchis said. “And I think the majority of kids respect the approach that Coach Pelini takes and that he’s straightforward with his expectations and black-and-white about what this program’s about. I don’t know that many recruiters or programs lay it out quite like that.”

 

LINK

[girlknowsfootball]

You gotta love the Pops.

[mitch7]

Great article. Damn I wanna be a recruiter or the next Sean Callahan

[EZ-E]

Great article. Damn I wanna be a recruiter or the next Sean Callahan

 

:yeah

[dylan]

It’s waiting for an answer that sometimes proves the toughest part.

 

The rest is something of a whirlwind: The plane trips, phone calls and text messages. The meet-and-greets with coaches, counselors and mothers who offer a cup of coffee and a seat on their living room couch.

 

By the time the coffee runs cold, it’s time to get on another plane, perhaps one taking you to another stranger’s living room.

 

Taxing, challenging and sometimes humbling ? yes, recruiting is all of that.

 

But there’s also fun to be had in the pursuit of finding 18-year-olds to join you in chasing football excellence. At least that’s what John Papuchis says.

 

And right now the Husker assistant coach would seem a fitting source on the subject.

 

“I enjoy going into someone’s living room and talking about the positive aspects of the program and why Nebraska could be such a great fit for them,” Papuchis said. “I think enjoying it is part of having success at doing it.”

 

Papuchis knows of recruiting success. He may be Nebraska’s youngest full-time assistant at age 31, but the defensive ends coach has played a lead role in gaining five of Nebraska’s 18 commitments in the 2010 class.

 

Defensive linemen Walker Ashburn, Chase Rome, Tobi Okuyemi, Jay Guy and Donovan Vestal all picked Nebraska after being courted by Papuchis.

 

“He’s straightforward just like Coach Bo (Pelini) is,” Ashburn said. “Like I told all my recruiters when they started recruiting me, ‘If you’re going to recruit me, be straight up with me. Don’t give me that used-car salesman pitch. I’d rather someone be honest with me instead of trying to lie to me, saying, ‘Oh, we’re going to do this with you and that with you.’ He didn’t do that. He didn’t (B.S.) me.”

 

Whatever the technique, it’s working for the even-keeled coach.

 

Papuchis has also been a key recruiter in the pursuit of defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa, the five-star prospect who will announce Wednesday if Nebraska is the place for him.

 

There’s that waiting game we were talking about.

 

“I’m a little anxious to get to Wednesday,” Papuchis admitted. “But it will get here soon enough.”

 

So what’s it like when you get your man? What are the emotions of a coach when a recruit he’s been talking to for months, sometimes years, says he’s coming to your school?

 

“A little bit of relief for me. That’s probably the biggest feeling,” Papuchis said. “I would compare it to probably the feeling after we win games.”

 

In his first two years at Nebraska, Papuchis had a hand in recruiting defensive end Jason Ankrah, Rex Burkhead, Khiry Cooper and P.J. Smith ? all players who seem to have a bright future at NU. (In Burkhead’s case, Husker assistant Tim Beck was also a lead recruiter. And Ron Brown was very important in the recruitment of Cooper.)

 

That’s an impressive recruiting track record for anyone, let alone someone in his third year as a full-time assistant coach.

 

“Recruiting is a very competitive, time-committed deal,” Papuchis said. “And I don’t want to lose to anybody. That’s the way I’ve always gone about it.”

 

Papuchis acknowledges there’s been learning experiences along the way. But every visit to a living room provides a greater comfort level.

 

And it’s those visits with players and the people closest to them that are every bit as valuable to Papuchis as four minutes of grainy football highlights.

 

“We evaluate all aspects while we’re recruiting -- who they are, their character, how they perform in the classroom and obviously what type of football player they are,” Papuchis said. “And that doesn’t always show up on a highlight film. A lot of times we look for technique, their effort level that they play the game with, and try to judge what type of upside they have as a player. Down the line, in our system with our coaching staff, what kind of player will they become.”

 

Papuchis said Pelini’s program stresses building trust, and that all begins in recruiting.

 

That’s why he said Husker coaches only promise recruits one thing: The chance to compete.

 

“With that being said, there’s never any false promises laid out,” Papuchis said. “And I think the majority of kids respect the approach that Coach Pelini takes and that he’s straightforward with his expectations and black-and-white about what this program’s about. I don’t know that many recruiters or programs lay it out quite like that.”

 

LINK

 

when bo has initially hired, there was a fair amount of grumbling among fans about him hiring a couple of unknown interns from his staff at LSU. nice to see how well papuchis and ekeler have worked out.

[EZ-E]

It’s waiting for an answer that sometimes proves the toughest part.

 

The rest is something of a whirlwind: The plane trips, phone calls and text messages. The meet-and-greets with coaches, counselors and mothers who offer a cup of coffee and a seat on their living room couch.

 

By the time the coffee runs cold, it’s time to get on another plane, perhaps one taking you to another stranger’s living room.

 

Taxing, challenging and sometimes humbling ? yes, recruiting is all of that.

 

But there’s also fun to be had in the pursuit of finding 18-year-olds to join you in chasing football excellence. At least that’s what John Papuchis says.

 

And right now the Husker assistant coach would seem a fitting source on the subject.

 

“I enjoy going into someone’s living room and talking about the positive aspects of the program and why Nebraska could be such a great fit for them,” Papuchis said. “I think enjoying it is part of having success at doing it.”

 

Papuchis knows of recruiting success. He may be Nebraska’s youngest full-time assistant at age 31, but the defensive ends coach has played a lead role in gaining five of Nebraska’s 18 commitments in the 2010 class.

 

Defensive linemen Walker Ashburn, Chase Rome, Tobi Okuyemi, Jay Guy and Donovan Vestal all picked Nebraska after being courted by Papuchis.

 

“He’s straightforward just like Coach Bo (Pelini) is,” Ashburn said. “Like I told all my recruiters when they started recruiting me, ‘If you’re going to recruit me, be straight up with me. Don’t give me that used-car salesman pitch. I’d rather someone be honest with me instead of trying to lie to me, saying, ‘Oh, we’re going to do this with you and that with you.’ He didn’t do that. He didn’t (B.S.) me.”

 

Whatever the technique, it’s working for the even-keeled coach.

 

Papuchis has also been a key recruiter in the pursuit of defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa, the five-star prospect who will announce Wednesday if Nebraska is the place for him.

 

There’s that waiting game we were talking about.

 

“I’m a little anxious to get to Wednesday,” Papuchis admitted. “But it will get here soon enough.”

 

So what’s it like when you get your man? What are the emotions of a coach when a recruit he’s been talking to for months, sometimes years, says he’s coming to your school?

 

“A little bit of relief for me. That’s probably the biggest feeling,” Papuchis said. “I would compare it to probably the feeling after we win games.”

 

In his first two years at Nebraska, Papuchis had a hand in recruiting defensive end Jason Ankrah, Rex Burkhead, Khiry Cooper and P.J. Smith ? all players who seem to have a bright future at NU. (In Burkhead’s case, Husker assistant Tim Beck was also a lead recruiter. And Ron Brown was very important in the recruitment of Cooper.)

 

That’s an impressive recruiting track record for anyone, let alone someone in his third year as a full-time assistant coach.

 

“Recruiting is a very competitive, time-committed deal,” Papuchis said. “And I don’t want to lose to anybody. That’s the way I’ve always gone about it.”

 

Papuchis acknowledges there’s been learning experiences along the way. But every visit to a living room provides a greater comfort level.

 

And it’s those visits with players and the people closest to them that are every bit as valuable to Papuchis as four minutes of grainy football highlights.

 

“We evaluate all aspects while we’re recruiting -- who they are, their character, how they perform in the classroom and obviously what type of football player they are,” Papuchis said. “And that doesn’t always show up on a highlight film. A lot of times we look for technique, their effort level that they play the game with, and try to judge what type of upside they have as a player. Down the line, in our system with our coaching staff, what kind of player will they become.”

 

Papuchis said Pelini’s program stresses building trust, and that all begins in recruiting.

 

That’s why he said Husker coaches only promise recruits one thing: The chance to compete.

 

“With that being said, there’s never any false promises laid out,” Papuchis said. “And I think the majority of kids respect the approach that Coach Pelini takes and that he’s straightforward with his expectations and black-and-white about what this program’s about. I don’t know that many recruiters or programs lay it out quite like that.”

 

LINK

 

when bo has initially hired, there was a fair amount of grumbling among fans about him hiring a couple of unknown interns from his staff at LSU. nice to see how well papuchis and ekeler have worked out.

 

The good thing about both is that they are very loyal to Bo. Ekeler is from Blair so I dont see him going anywhere. This is like his dream job. JP has a lot of future in CFB. He is only 31. Hope we can hold onto him for awhile.

[dylan]

The good thing about both is that they are very loyal to Bo. Ekeler is from Blair so I dont see him going anywhere. This is like his dream job. JP has a lot of future in CFB. He is only 31. Hope we can hold onto him for awhile.

 

ekeler apparently turned down the DC job at USF last year to stay on staff.

 

one of the keys to TO's reign was building happiness and faith in the program that made it hard for quality assistants to leave. we seem to be seeing bo do the same (though i'm sure we'll eventually see guys move on to bigger jobs elsewhere).

[Redmusky]

JP and Ekeler look like they are good closers but the true test is in the selecting which recruit to go after. Bo's staff looks like there dead on in this department