Recruiting The Best Talent

[Pericles]

Premise: the talent one recruits largely determines the success of any college athletic program; without superior talent, it's almost impossible to win championships, no matter how good the coaching.

I realize that's probably a truism for anybody who actively follows college sports, but I think we often overlook it and think that average talent can be coached to excellence -- with enough coaching ability and effort. I think that rarely happens. Sort of like he/she who has the gold makes the rules.

So, if that's true (and I think it is with very few exceptions), how important is it that a University of Texas women's basketball coach form active face-to-face relationships with high school girl's basketball coaches in Texas?

Reason I ask is that the first call Mack Brown made when he took the Texas job was to Eddie Joseph, the head of the Texas High School Coaches Association. Mack has said many times that the reason he did that was that he knew getting to know those coaches and forming positive relationships with them was the key ingredient in successful recruiting in the state of Texas.

And so Mack and his staff began immediately to get to know the high school football coaches throughout the state, and they vigorously maintain those relationships to this day.

"I have never seen anyone make friends better or quicker with the high school coaching community," said Eddie Joseph, former executive VP of the Texas High School Coaches Association. "Mack is amazing. He has the ability to make everyone feel at ease around him and makes the coaches from junior high on up feel comfortable. I think the thing that makes him so great for the coaches to work with is that he has a passion for high school coaches. He has a great deal of respect for the coaches."

From Mack Brown web site

Has Gail done anything like that yet?

And does Gail have any coaches on her staff that are either former Texas high school coaches or who know lots of the Texas high school coaches? If not, I wonder if Gail would consider hiring such a person?

And if not, how does she expect to overcome the recruiting advantage that A&M's Gary Blair and Baylor's Kim Mulkey (and most other major college programs) appear to currently have over Texas for at least the next two years?

2009

2010

2011

 

[Bill in Sinton]

I remember when the Women's Basketball played Texas A&M at Corpus Christi in Corpus Christi a few years ago and right after the game she that we won she had her team almost immediately after the game leave the court and not visit at all with fansa nd UT had won. This was a disappointment because it was the first time they ever played in this area and the first time many fans in Corpus Christi and the surrounding area had ever had a chance to see them play in person. Even just five minutes after the game would have meant a lot. This disappointment would have been much easier to live with if we were doing as well as Baylor but this one and done in the playoffs and losing all these times to the Aggies makes it bitter. Bad PR work also.
I realize that I am just a nobody fan but this snub might have upset someone somewhere down the line that could have much influence with a recruit.

 

[Driftwood]

Often post game availability is limited by schedule. If the geirls flew to CC they may have had a tight plane connection and if they came by bus it is a long ride back to Austin.

This team doesn't do a lot of mixing with the fans even after wins at home. If you want player/fan interaction after road games, go to volleyball games.

 

[overseasbbfan1]

I don't know whether any schools/programs spend much time meeting with fans after aways games, but I think everyone agrees that Horn players and coaches did a much better job in terms of fan interaction this season.

I really don't understand the commentary on this thread and others regarding recruiting. I think GG has done a fine job her first few seasons, in particular given that she came from another state and conference (and admittedly didn't have the long term relationships that others including her predesessor did). But the implication that other Big 12 and in-state programs have done much better simply isn't true. In 2008 there were four Texas recruits ranked in the Hoopgurlz top 30; all went out-of-state and conference. In 2009 there were three Tx recruits in the top 5...one went to Baylor (Griner), one to the Horns (Reed) and the third (Bone) went out-of-state. A fourth player ranked top 20 also went out-of-state. That's 8 Texas recruits over two seasons ranked in the top 30 (7 top 25) and six went out-of-state and out of the Big12. And the Horns signed one of the two that chose to play close to home. Looking ahead to 2010 the state and nation's top player, Ogwumike, is following her sister to Stanford; of the remaining three top 25 Texas players, BU, AM and the Horns have one each. And while Hoopgurlz has Sims and Gilbert ranked ahead of Moore there are other services that have Tiffany ranked higher. As far as 2011 goes it may be a little early to rank recruits but at this point I would put our three signees (including Peoples and Enemkpali) on a par with or even ahead of other conference programs (including AM with their two top 20 selections). The point is we are certainly holding our own and to imply that other conference programs are doing much better on the in-state front simply isn't true.

Clealy recruiting is important but a great class isn't always indicative of future success, as we know all too well. Looking back to 2008 LSU had three top 20 recruits and lost in the NCAA 2nd round this season...Tennessee had a monster class with three in the top 10 and five top 25 yet just lost in the Sweet 16. I am very happy with the 7 recruits we have coming in the next two seasons, and best of all, we still have three open slots for any other top players that want to join them.

 

[BabHorn]

Well said, overseas. I think our recruiting is on track and getting better every year (2010 will be the third class recruited by Coach G and her staff).