Recruiting is INSANE, story from LA Times

[orangeinjersey]

Sam Farmer has a great piece in the L.A. Times on the difference between coaching in college football and the NFL. He interviews guys who have done both, like Pete Carroll, June Jones, Barry Switzer, and Chip Kelly, but the breakout star is easily Jerry Glanville.

I bet HCDM HATED the grind of recruiting. Begging 17 yr old kids to come to Syracuse. Good read

http://www.latimes.com/sports/footb...oaches-20131211,0,5498197.story#axzz2nLlq3ahM[/QUOTE]

 

[Entropic]

I like the part where Glanville said he would talk to a recruit and then basically say "Great, i'm glad your committed. I'm going to go tell your mom." and just walk out of the room.

 

[retro44]

A Buick Riviera is my favorite car

that car would sell again big time

 

[cuseinchina]

Doesn't really sound any worse than any other big-time job - there is always a relentless focus on something required when the stakes are high and competition is fierce. In college football that thing happens to be recruiting. So it's a matter of whether that is something you either enjoy doing or are naturally skilled at.

 

[OttoMets]

I liked this Chip Kelly line: "I would argue my schedule was more hectic from a recruiting standpoint than it was here. So I'm looking forward to being in the office every day and watching tape. That is the fun part of our job."

What? In my experience, watching tape is just about the most miserable part of coaching. If that's the fun part, recruiting really is an unpleasant business.

 

[OrangePA]

I suspect that Coach Marrone did find the recruiting part of the job frustrating - he repeatedly lost out on players he figured he would get.

And I'm sure that that became an issue for him.

That's part of the challenge of the SU Football HC position - it takes a lot of patience.

 

[upperdeck]

I liked this Chip Kelly line: "I would argue my schedule was more hectic from a recruiting standpoint than it was here. So I'm looking forward to being in the office every day and watching tape. That is the fun part of our job."

What? In my experience, watching tape is just about the most miserable part of coaching. If that's the fun part, recruiting really is an unpleasant business.

from the coaches i talk with , the better you are at knowing to what you are seeing on tape the more fun it is to watch it.

 

[Finwad32]

I suspect that Coach Marrone did find the recruiting part of the job frustrating - he repeatedly lost out on players he figured he would get.

And I'm sure that that became an issue for him.

That's part of the challenge of the SU Football HC position - it takes a lot of patience.

You hit this one on the head. In not so many words I've heard him say that it wasn't something he necessarily enjoyed. Trying to convince a 17 yr. old of the benefits of the University he loved so much when it should be a privilege to be there in the first place. IMO Doug's a football coach, and sometimes that's not all you need at the college level. I think his personality is best suited for the league.

Conversely I believe SS is a collegiate guy through and through. Not to say he doesn't have the X's and O's mind for the league, just think that his personality fits these kids better.

 

[Full_Rebar]

I liked this Chip Kelly line: "I would argue my schedule was more hectic from a recruiting standpoint than it was here. So I'm looking forward to being in the office every day and watching tape. That is the fun part of our job."

What? In my experience, watching tape is just about the most miserable part of coaching. If that's the fun part, recruiting really is an unpleasant business.

I'd rather watch football all day than be in front of a teenager and their unrealistic parents/coaches, who want you to tell them why you should be privileged enough to be their college coach. I would imagine that the day to day grind of recruiting gets old when you have a family of your own and are sick of all the BS that comes with it (negative recruiting, promises or playing time, NCAA rules).

 

[OttoMets]

from the coaches i talk with , the better you are at knowing to what you are seeing on tape the more fun it is to watch it.

It's just so repetitive. Coaches look through tape half a dozen times with various colleagues, they walk the kids through it, they review it. Tedious, even if you know and love the subject matter.

My experience is only in basketball -- which I understand a lot better than football -- and breaking down film was fun on the first or second try, like watching grass grow after that. From friends who coach football, it sounds worse (a lot more going on).

 

[OttoMets]

I'd rather watch football all day than be in front of a teenager and their unrealistic parents/coaches, who want you to tell them why you should be privileged enough to be their college coach. I would imagine that the day to day grind of recruiting gets old when you have a family of your own and are sick of all the BS that comes with it (negative recruiting, promises or playing time, NCAA rules).

For me, recruiting would be maddening. I know there are a lot of salesman-types who really like the competition and challenge of it. From where I sit, it's too sleazy.

Tape is different. More controlled, certainly.

 

[KaiserUEO]

tape watching would be doing your job, breaking down a defense or an offense. thats fun, thats chess.

recruiting is a bunch of annoying trips that arent vacations, dealing playstation playing kids who all think theyre going to be millioinaires and parents who think their kids are HOFers right then. that would suck.

i always loved glanville, found him to be hysterical and a great coach who knew his shhit.

if his voice wasnt so annoying, hed still be on tv as a color guy.

the fact that he left tickets for Elvis before every game was another great aspect to this guy.

he got it.

 

[NovaOrange]

It's just so repetitive. Coaches look through tape half a dozen times with various colleagues, they walk the kids through it, they review it. Tedious, even if you know and love the subject matter.

My experience is only in basketball -- which I understand a lot better than football -- and breaking down film was fun on the first or second try, like watching grass grow after that. From friends who coach football, it sounds worse (a lot more going on).

Grading tape is the equivalent of watching paint dry. Now watching your upcoming opponents tape and game planning is fun.

 

[Townie72]

For me, recruiting would be maddening. I know there are a lot of salesman-types who really like the competition and challenge of it. From where I sit, it's too sleazy.

Tape is different. More controlled, certainly.

Not really as bad as you think.

I'd compare it to what I saw from salesmen representing IBM or Xerox. Same sort of glad-handing, attempting to build rapport, sales presentations and attempts at "closing". If that sort of thing turns your stomach, than you couldn't recruit.

 

[supp]

Not really as bad as you think.

I'd compare it to what I saw from salesmen representing IBM or Xerox. Same sort of glad-handing, attempting to build rapport, sales presentations and attempts at "closing". If that sort of thing turns your stomach, than you couldn't recruit.

Come on, you're joking! Did your IBM rep send you 50 handwritten notes everyday? Flew you up to his house for an entire weekend where he set you up with hostesses and god's knows what? Called and texted you whenever he could about their latest business servers? Stalked your home at 3am to make sure you know he means his rock bottom prices?

 

[Rocco]

I bet HCDM HATED the grind of recruiting. Begging 17 yr old kids to come to Syracuse. Good read

http://www.latimes.com/sports/footb...oaches-20131211,0,5498197.story#axzz2nLlq3ahM

[/quote]

Marrone hated recruiting, that's a fact. People close to him knew that too.

 

[anomander]

Is Jerry Glanville available?

 

[timkay99]

Surprised how many think recruiting is a struggle b/c of the spoiled teenagers aspect.

The worst part of the recruiting is travel, bar none. Reason why a lot of young coaches ( who do a lot on the road) are single.

This is partly why I think you are seeing the facility wars take off. If your facilities are awesome, it can make it easier recruiting from a head coaching perspective.

Lot of respect for guys like McDonald and especially guys like Shafer who are out traveling all across the country to visit with these kids and have in homes and then working weekends to break down tape.

 

[timkay99]

Doesn't really sound any worse than any other big-time job - there is always a relentless focus on something required when the stakes are high and competition is fierce. In college football that thing happens to be recruiting. So it's a matter of whether that is something you either enjoy doing or are naturally skilled at.

I laugh at this. No other top level position requires you to be on the road 6 months of the year (at the very least) to recruit your employees for a 4 year period. And then to keep doing that year after year after year for employees for a 4 year period.

And lets not forget, most of the groundwork is done by assistant coaches, who typically make mid to high 5 figures.

Do you have some examples of similar things in other industries? I know as an insurance salesman, you have to take a certain amount of classes a year, but is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

 

[Townie72]

Come on, you're joking! Did your IBM rep send you 50 handwritten notes everyday? Flew you up to his house for an entire weekend where he set you up with hostesses and god's knows what? Called and texted you whenever he could about their latest business servers? Stalked your home at 3am to make sure you know he means his rock bottom prices?

For the great majority of recruits, your scenario is way overblown. You are thinking about the nation's very top prospects who get that type of all out effort. The typical recruitment process does have lots of letters and notes, many handwritten. There are a limited number of phone calls allowed (1 per week, I think). There are home visits (1) and a recruiting trip where the school generally host a group of recruits.

IBM and Xerox have their own fleet of planes to fly customers and prospective customers around. (or they did up to a few years ago.) Entertainment is a big part of these trips.

Our family has been through the process twice. Strangely, the Ivy League schools are among the most aggressive.

 

[Cusefan95]

tape watching would be doing your job, breaking down a defense or an offense. thats fun, thats chess.

recruiting is a bunch of annoying trips that arent vacations, dealing playstation playing kids who all think theyre going to be millioinaires and parents who think their kids are HOFers right then. that would suck.

i always loved glanville, found him to be hysterical and a great coach who knew his shhit.

if his voice wasnt so annoying, hed still be on tv as a color guy.

the fact that he left tickets for Elvis before every game was another great aspect to this guy.

he got it.

IIRC, Tim Green loved playing for Glanville. Green like to read books before games, most coaches frowned on him doing so...so he was hiding in the training room reading when As a new coach Glanville came in and told him to do whatever the hell got him prepared to play.

 

[cuseinchina]

I laugh at this. No other top level position requires you to be on the road 6 months of the year (at the very least) to recruit your employees for a 4 year period. And then to keep doing that year after year after year for employees for a 4 year period.

And lets not forget, most of the groundwork is done by assistant coaches, who typically make mid to high 5 figures.

Do you have some examples of similar things in other industries? I know as an insurance salesman, you have to take a certain amount of classes a year, but is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Sure- investors/ hedge fund managers scour the globe in a constant search for new companies to invest in. The amount of due diligence is unbelievable. And similarly, junior people do much of the leg work for a fraction of the pay - its time put in learning and aiming for the top job.

A similar situation would be running a major NYC art gallery or an auction house. Always traveling looking for the next big artist, buyers and sellers and never resting because the competition is out doing the same thing.


Most big time jobs with big time money involve some sort of relentless pursuit and if you don't have the ability to do it you won't succeed. I just don't see anything special about being a college football coach versus a lot of other big time positions. You do what you need to do to be successful, end of story