New Recruiting Philosophy?

[dylan]

Yeah kids like going to schools with big names they hear about on TV, but for most, I think the recruiting process, and the contact with the coaching staff and everything, is a lot more important. They want to go somewhere that's a fit for them. That's why ND consistently reels in great classes even when they suck

i find these statements contradictory. kids go to notre dame largely because of the program's prestige and TV contract, and to a lesser extent because of the education. this is proven by the fact that every coaching staff they've had has brought in great recruits. they just happen to be the rare program (maybe the only program) that has enough prestige to remain untarnished by years of mediocrity.

Bottom line, kids want to go somewhere they believe they can succeed, more than they want to go somewhere where they've already seen success. Sometimes the two go together, but when they don't, the former trumps the latter.

true to some extent, but i think kids have a lot easier time believing they'll succeed at a place that has shown tangible results. that's why you don't see vanderbilt or northwestern raking in top recruits.

hustle is very, very important in recruiting, as in sales in general, but it's a hell of a lot easier when you have a good product with a brand name. let us rejoice at nebraska's return to the national consciousness.

 

[carlfense]

The "Bo being a lazy recruiter" talk comes from the only true insider that we have on the board. Not information sold by rivals or scout . . . but someone legitimately close to the program.

The meltdown of '09 was more of a message board meltdown than an actual meltdown. In early fall NU only had a few commits and certain posters claimed we were being left in the talent dust of teams like Miami. There was an abundance of "sky is falling" mentality . . . it totally blew the actual complaints about Bo's recruiting out of proportion. Not sure where to direct you exactly . . . I'll see if I can dig up a link.

 

[carlfense]

Here's one example:

http://www.huskerboard.com/index.php?/topic/35665-the-sky-is-not-falling/page__hl__miami

 

[Captain K]

I just have a hard time believing that Bo and his staff would basically not understand recruiting or that its 365, you know? I think it was a lot of fans that were freaked out because we had been sooooo beaten down by BC and it was some BCers that were basically trying to call out Bo for anything. So they read that a kid says "I like Nebraska, I tried calling one of the coaches the other day but they didnt answer" and they turned it into a sky is falling thing.

Look at the schools Bo was at, when you really think about does it make any sense that he would think that recruiting was a part time thing. I think he always had a plan, now hopefully that plan will just continue to cycle, which is what all coaches want. A solid plan that works well and starts to feed off its own results.

This just may be the problem. After being at two schools that were at the top of their game and can get recruits excited with just their name, I could see how he (Bo) might think it's easier than it is. I bet the assistants at UT aren't flying all over and chasing kids for sigs. It is easier at some schools. Lincoln isn't the destination we wish it was and we were coming off crap years "on the field." It may have taken an adjustment year to figure out recruiting guys to Lincoln takes extra work. :LOLtartar

 

[openheart5]

Bo has one hell of a class going right now. Why look back into the sun?

 

[zoogs]

Yeah kids like going to schools with big names they hear about on TV, but for most, I think the recruiting process, and the contact with the coaching staff and everything, is a lot more important. They want to go somewhere that's a fit for them. That's why ND consistently reels in great classes even when they suck

i find these statements contradictory. kids go to notre dame largely because of the program's prestige and TV contract, and to a lesser extent because of the education. this is proven by the fact that every coaching staff they've had has brought in great recruits. they just happen to be the rare program (maybe the only program) that has enough prestige to remain untarnished by years of mediocrity.

You're right, that's a pretty crap example.

Bottom line, kids want to go somewhere they believe they can succeed, more than they want to go somewhere where they've already seen success. Sometimes the two go together, but when they don't, the former trumps the latter.

true to some extent, but i think kids have a lot easier time believing they'll succeed at a place that has shown tangible results. that's why you don't see vanderbilt or northwestern raking in top recruits.

hustle is very, very important in recruiting, as in sales in general, but it's a hell of a lot easier when you have a good product with a brand name. let us rejoice at nebraska's return to the national consciousness.

yeah, it certainly is a combination. I guess what I'm getting at though is in our case, I think the results we are seeing are attributable not to our product becoming so much better, but to our 'hustle', as you say. Which is good, because the former is ephemeral and changing from year-to-year.

 

[dylan]

Here's one example:

http://www.huskerboard.com/index.php?/topic/35665-the-sky-is-not-falling/page__hl__miami

i'm familiar with that thread and posted in it at the time. i was actually asking for information on the recruits we supposedly left hanging during the staff's summer siesta.

also, i take internet "insiders" with a boulder of salt, even the ones that have shown a solid record over the years. there's always room for error and misinterpretation even if you're only a person or two downstream from the source. i have seen the most well connected people disagree with each other on basic facts on multiple occasions.

what i have for actual facts on bo as a recruiter are that he has brought in two good recruiting classes and has the beginnings of a very good class now that the program is on solid footing again.

 

[teachercd]

Here are some more thoughts on it, I personally do not think you just "become" a good recruiter, I think its something in your personality. So if you agree with that statement then you pretty much have to agree that most on this staff have always been good recruiters but are just still building relationships and starting to finally get what what they want more times then not.

I just can't imagine there is some book a coach can read that will help him recruiter a kid better. It just doesnt work that way. I have sent 3 or 4 kids to D1 teams, two current huskers, and I can tell you that coaches either impress you or they dont.

Whoever posted the sky is not falling link, thanks! That was funny to go back and read that stuff!

 

[Husker_x]

Well, there's a difference between being a likable enough guy who can impress a coach and a war room director who is making darn sure we've got kids coming in for visits and everyone has assignments and is fulfilling their duties. The knock against Bo's staff wasn't that they couldn't get kids to commit or close the deal, but that they weren't putting the 110% effort into it. Someone has already posted the amount of visitors year to year. You could chalk it up to more success on the field, sure, but from the rumblings it was only this year that the light came on for Bo and he realized just how much a unique and important opportunity the Spring Game was to recruit.

I think we've got a bunch of great recruiters on the staff and a head coach who's becoming increasingly comfortable with his CEO-type role in our program. And winning is its own recruiting pitch.

 

[ADS]

The thing I have noticed about his recruting style is that he seems to follow the build your program from the inside to outside (bring in OL and DL). Controlling the line of scrimmage can really open an offense up, and controlling the defensive line of scrimmage can open it up for the linebackers and safety's to make plays. Eventhough Callahan was an OL coach he didnt seem to build the depth at either the OL and DL and I love that Bo and Co have been doing that in their classes.

2008: Ricky Henry, Brandon Thompson, David Grant (never made it to campus)

2009: Jesse Coffey, Nich Ash, Jeremiah Sirles, Brent Qualve

2010: Jamarcus Hardrick, Andrew Rodrigues, Mike Moudy

2011: Ryan Klatcho, Ryne Reeves, Tyler Moore, Dylan Admire, and possibly one more Tackle

Having depth at the OL can make or break a program and it seems like Bo and this staff have brought in some quality depth upfront, something we have not seen in awhile. :koolaid2:

 

[RedDenver]

Everybody watch. The "sky is falling" mentality will return towards the end of summer when there's nothing to talk about and recruiting slows down. Happens every year.

 

[teachercd]

Everybody watch. The "sky is falling" mentality will return towards the end of summer when there's nothing to talk about and recruiting slows down. Happens every year.

That is a very good point! That should start right around, July.

 

[RockyMountainOySker]

Everybody watch. The "sky is falling" mentality will return towards the end of summer when there's nothing to talk about and recruiting slows down. Happens every year.

That is a very good point! That should start right around, July.

We will definitely see people with this mentality when we are short on WR commits...I should say...lack of high profile 4/5 star kids. Happens every year. IMO, we are doing just fine recruiting WRs....the kids we got last year are going to surprise people.

 

[EZ-E]

We will definitely see people with this mentality when we are short on WR commits...I should say...lack of high profile 4/5 star kids. Happens every year. IMO, we are doing just fine recruiting WRs....the kids we got last year are going to surprise people.

:yeah

I completely agree. Enunwa, Bell, and Evans will surprize people. You wouldnt believe it, but we do have some young guys on the team that the coaches have some hopes for ie Cooper, Marlowe, Osborne, Bell.

 

[RockyMountainOySker]

We will definitely see people with this mentality when we are short on WR commits...I should say...lack of high profile 4/5 star kids. Happens every year. IMO, we are doing just fine recruiting WRs....the kids we got last year are going to surprise people.

:yeah

I completely agree. Enunwa, Bell, and Evans will surprize people. You wouldnt believe it, but we do have some young guys on the team that the coaches have some hopes for ie Cooper, Marlowe, Osborne, Bell.

I was really high on Cooper when we signed him in Bo's first class. Under the radar type of kid that runs great routes with good speed. The fact that he misses spring ball every year is slowing him down though. I still expect big things from him on the football field by his senior year.