The New Recruiting Strategy

Coach Dooley and staff are hard at work on finishing the 2010 class inside the top 15 (and that is not meant to be a slight whatsoever). Justin Hunter’s commitment Tuesday (WR, 6’4, 172, 4.4) is a very good pickup by Dooley. For all practical purposes Markeith Ambles appears to be gone, perhaps a silent to USC.

A big key right now is landing a solid hire for defensive coordinator. Kevin Steele would have been a good fit. But good coaches at desirable programs are going to think long and hard (or maybe not, opting for a gracious ‘no thanks’) about leaving during the homestretch of the recruiting season.

Of course, that only applies to coaches with a sense of loyalty, character and something more than an $800,000 ‘pocket change’ buyout.

Crucial Hire

 
With the recent exodus of defensive commits, will it be jucos to the rescue? There are still some good names out there, but Dooley knows not much is going to fall the Vols way with commits on the D side until a hire is made.

Whoever gets the DC job, wherever this class end up ranked one thing is almost certain. The recruiting strategy and architecture of Tennessee’s recruiting is changing as we speak. Selling a ‘NFL’ staff (while obviously beneficial to some degree) is not what this staff will be about.

There is no legendary NFL defensive mind here now. Really, the former head coach had only a brief stint as an NFL HC. Obviously, it’s not just that you’ve coached in the NFL. There are varying degrees of that making an impact on talent coming in.

With Dick Bumpas and Kevin Steele no longer in the picture, what are the possibilities? Rodney Garner’s name has appeal. He’s an excellent recruiter, has a SEC and Tennessee background. Sal Sunseri is another name that merit consideration, particularly if Dooley wants to go NFL experience route.

It all about the Angle(s). . Really?

The former number one angle of ‘we are here to prepare you for Sunday’s son’ will not work. Nor should it. Do we really want a bunch of mercenaries in the mold of an Ed Orgeron?

It won’t be ‘come win SEC titles and National Championships’ either (Florida or Alabama’s gig right now). It will still be early playing time and rebuilding a program. In a conference that dominates the recruiting world, it’s a tough sell. I would think (and hope) this staff doesn’t follow their predecessor’s approach of pitching your tent on the wrong side of gray areas.

Coaching integrity should be vastly improved. A fine education, great facilities, a somewhat jaded but loyal fan base (at least for the short term), and tradition will be back at the core. Solid evaluation and coaching up talent is going to be at an absolute premium.

The 25 per year rule hurts Tennessee particularly so due to attrition over the last 14 months of 20+ players gone. Add to that the poor recruiting class of 2008 (35th by both Rivals and Scout rankings). In addition, 2 players who helped the 2009 class finish in the top 10 were dismissed. Finally, Eric Berry and Dennis Rogan, two starters in the secondary are gone via early entry into the draft.

Finding the Talent

The strategy of national recruiting and by that I’m specifically referring to the west coast is unnecessary. For all the flailing of arms and smack talking the former staff did, they got out recruited on the west coast by Urban Meyer.

They spend a ton of money, time and energy. But in the talent-rich south, is it really necessary? Maybe if you‘re wanting to keep your connections open in a region you’re looking to get back to.

Florida, for instance, in Urban Meyer’s six recruiting classes (including this one) have pulled six players from California. That an average of one a year.

What about Nick Saban in his four recruiting classes at Alabama? Exactly ZERO players from California.

The new landscape could go something like this: Heavy emphasis on Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. Virginia, North and South Carolina to the east. And of course to the deep south, Florida (but not the we live or die view of it that the former group had.

If we were in the Northwest Territory (cue a lone, howling coyote) then the west coast makes a lot of sense. There’s not much in the way of elite talent in those states. At least not on par with the southeast. Tennessee must go outside its border primarily to build a championship program. The point being, more focus, more energy, and more commitment from top to bottom in a region that allows the staff to still recognize their kids.

Derek Dooley has a great challenge in front of him. With that challenge comes great opportunity. Perhaps this time, a less flashy, more substance approach will win Vol fans over whole-heartedly. A message and a strategy that doesn’t reek of narcissism, that manages somehow to win and win with class. GO VOLS!