We're going to need a bigger boat.

[Hoov50]

Going back to the end of the P era, we've been through 10 years now of various coaches, some good recruiters, some not, and we have had consistent bad luck trying to attract and sign top talent. Coaches come and go, with different personalities and approaches to their jobs. What has remained constant throughout that period?

But yeah, it was the Realtor's fault.

I would argue that we have had some top talent come through Syracuse during those years. We have had multiple players go onto play professionally and quite a few have had success. Are you basing your "top talent" comment on the number of stars recruits have been given? Which we both know means nothing. I am not arguing your main point, just disagreeing on your definition of "top talent."

 

[OttoinGrotto]

My problem with the facilities argument is that absolves the staff of all responsibility in recruiting players here.

You have to show them. You can be up front about it. Is it a weakness? Yeah, but don't hide it. But a kid will get just as strong bench pressing 225 lbs on a bench at Syracuse as he will at Rutgers, and there are other things to show a kid to get them envisioning themselves on campus than facilities.

If I coach at a different program and I know that Syracuse doesn't hold junior day because they don't want kids to see the facilities, guess what I'm going to tell recruits?

Hint: It has something to do with how Syracuse wants to hide facilities from you.

 

[supp]

You have to show them. You can be up front about it. Is it a weakness? Yeah, but don't hide it. But a kid will get just as strong bench pressing 225 lbs on a bench at Syracuse as he will at Rutgers, and there are other things to show a kid to get them envisioning themselves on campus than facilities.

If I coach at a different program and I know that Syracuse doesn't hold junior day because they don't want kids to see the facilities, guess what I'm going to tell recruits?

Hint: It has something to do with how Syracuse wants to hide facilities from you.

The Junior Days are not just about building relationships with recruits but are also about the recruits building relationships with one another, imagining their future team based on who's been invited. It's more than just a "group grope." If you don't think recruits have an effect on each other's decisions, then you haven't been following recruiting very long. One guy committing on a visit or soon thereafter often creates a domino effect. One guy turning down an offer can have a similar effect in reverse (as we saw the past few weeks). Players want to be a part of something special and that something special often has more to do with people than it does with environment. If it was the opposite, no one of consequence would ever commit to a school like Vanderbilt.

 

[GoSU96]

Losing doesn't help and that perception is mostly out of the control of the coaching staff. But if there are things that you can do to offset the negatives and you aren't doing them or aren't doing them aggressively, that's on you.

My problem with the facilities argument is that absolves the staff of all responsibility in recruiting players here. That's ludicrous. How on earth is Vanderbilt recruiting top 25 classes? Yeah, they're in the SEC but they've been in the SEC since the 1960s. Where were those classes before? Losing is a problem, facilities are a problem but they're not a dead end like some make it out to be.

Who said it was a dead end? However it is part of the reason for not having junior days and it's a direct cause for why kids didn't sign here that would have otherwise.

If you don't think it's a big problem you don't have a clue.

 

[phil77]

I do not understand why of all years you wouldn't have a JR day this year. G-Town game. Last Big East game against G-Town. Melo will be in the house yes that would probably matter to football recruits. Bring in McNabb, Freeney and Harrison to the game. Like Mr. Brown said UT's game day experience is second to none. Lets show our recruits what it would be like when they win and highly ranked in the dome...Don't understand why our staff doesn't utilize the major college basketball games we hold on campus more. You have to make the basketball program work for you not against you.

 

[javadoc]

I would argue that we have had some top talent come through Syracuse during those years. We have had multiple players go onto play professionally and quite a few have had success. Are you basing your "top talent" comment on the number of stars recruits have been given? Which we both know means nothing. I am not arguing your main point, just disagreeing on your definition of "top talent."

There have been players here and there, sure. As at most other places. When Marrone took over we were the slowest and smallest team in the Big East - not the SEC or Big 10, the 2009 Big East. Maybe in all of D-1A. Our talent level was mediocre by the time Pasqualoni left, was abysmal when Robinson left, and is borderline good now, thanks to a heroic recruiting effort by Anselmo, Shafer, Wheatley, and Marrone. If we get the announcement of the new IPF as has been teased, I think we will be poised to do about as well as we can, given our essentials as a small-ish private school in the northeast. Which is pretty good. Circa 1990 good.