Rich Rodriguez (official thread of last laughs)

[ShakerBuck]

re: RR poaching recruits. In my opinion the actual practice or actively recruiting a player who has verballed to another school is fine. Nice guys finish last, until the letter is signed they are fair game.

There would be no romantic comedies if the lead actor gave up the first time his love interest turned him down (....maybe that would not be such a bad thing)

But....there might be something going on here behind the scenes that we don't know about...maybe RRs tactics are what is ruffling feathers from other coaches.

 

[Steve19]

re: RR poaching recruits. In my opinion the actual practice or actively recruiting a player who has verballed to another school is fine. Nice guys finish last, until the letter is signed they are fair game.

There would be no romantic comedies if the lead actor gave up the first time his love interest turned him down (....maybe that would not be such a bad thing)

But....there might be something going on here behind the scenes that we don't know about...maybe RRs tactics are what is ruffling feathers from other coaches.

I may have a different point of view, not sure.

These are high school kids and they are still working on a high school diploma. They don't need coaches and their staffs interfering with their studies. Some of these kids make up their mind, announce their intentions, and still receive 100 or more messages on their phone a day. Saying "I've decided" shouldn't have to wait until NLOI day.

I have no problem with a coach from LOSERS U answering questions from a kid who has verballed to ACME U, if the kid makes contact with that coach and requests more information. It is understandable that the coach would think the kid is wavering and then make his offer. Unfortunately, kids do this, then make a final decision to stay committed to ACME but find that LOSERS U begins a full-blown recruiting appeal with weeks or months of follow up, which interferes with everything.

I also think that if a kid makes that contact after making a verbal commitment, then the coach at LOSERS U should be compelled to report it to ACME, so that ACME isn't holding a scholarship for a kid who is not really committed.

That is what I respect about the way Pryor handled things, by the way.

The other case that is rotten is when a kid verbals, announces his intentions, and then has another coach hanging all over him who will not stop recruiting. That is completely out of bounds.

 

[ShakerBuck]

I may have a different point of view, not sure.

These are high school kids and they are still working on a high school diploma. They don't need coaches and their staffs interfering with their studies. Some of these kids make up their mind, announce their intentions, and still receive 100 or more messages on their phone a day. Saying "I've decided" shouldn't have to wait until NLOI day.

I have no problem with a coach from LOSERS U answering questions from a kid who has verballed to ACME U, if the kid makes contact with that coach and requests more information. It is understandable that the coach would think the kid is wavering and then make his offer. Unfortunately, kids do this, then make a final decision to stay committed to ACME but find that LOSERS U begins a full-blown recruiting appeal with weeks or months of follow up, which interferes with everything.

I also think that if a kid makes that contact after making a verbal commitment, then the coach at LOSERS U should be compelled to report it to ACME, so that ACME isn't holding a scholarship for a kid who is not really committed.

That is what I respect about the way Pryor handled things, by the way.

The other case that is rotten is when a kid verbals, announces his intentions, and then has another coach hanging all over him who will not stop recruiting. That is completely out of bounds.

well sure, whether the recruit is annoyed by constant badgering is another issue altogether. Not the issue we were discussing

 

[gracelhink]

re: RR poaching recruits. In my opinion the actual practice or actively recruiting a player who has verballed to another school is fine. Nice guys finish last, until the letter is signed they are fair game.

There would be no romantic comedies if the lead actor gave up the first time his love interest turned him down (....maybe that would not be such a bad thing)

But....there might be something going on here behind the scenes that we don't know about...maybe RRs tactics are what is ruffling feathers from other coaches.

I believe you're spot on, RR's tactics are what provoked Paterno in the loss of Shaw and caused Tiller to publicly rebuke the "wizard hat, snake oil salesman."
RR strategies are obviously effective in recruiting those who were at one time solid verbals.
Are these recruits changing verbals because they are awed by RR's charisma, promises, or the new advantage of playing at an elite school?
I believe the senior members of the B10 coaching profession would not be concerned if RR is doing what they have done in the past, namely continue to recruit soft verbal commits.
Their language speaks to the tactics of negative recruiting, bashing the school of the verbal commit.
IMHO only this kind of action could provoke such rebuke from Tiller, Tressell, Paterno, et al.

 

[Sportsbuck28]

Karma is a real bitch, and RR will have a helluva lot coming his way soon enough.

 

[Trevi]

Rodriguez seeks more intensity from his players- mlive.com

At an event for media and fans last week, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel was asked if there was a gentlemen's agreement between Big Ten coaches to stop pursuing players who have verbally committed to other conference schools. "I guess only between gentlemen,'' Tressel said, according to reports.

When asked about such an agreement, Rodriguez had this to say:

"Well, if not being a gentleman is recruiting guys to the end of signing date, particularly after he visits, guilty as charged. We're gonna recruit 'em to the end. I know after I took the job there was a guy who was committed to Michigan, and he changed his commitment and went to a Big Ten school. I didn't say that (coach) was not a gentleman. I just thought, well heck, they must have been recruiting him all the way along and they jumped at the opportunity.''

"We're not going to break any NCAA rules. We're gonna play by what the NCAA rules are,'' Rodriguez continued. "The first time I heard about any so-called gentlemen's agreement was after signing day. I didn't get a memo from the Big Ten. I feel pretty proud about how we recruit. I tell my coaches don't be a negative recruiter, state the facts and all that.

"If you're asking me if I'm going to change how we're recruiting in the future because of what somebody said ... No.''

Just gotta love the arrogance

 

[Best Buckeye]

Rodriguez seeks more intensity from his players- mlive.com

just gotta love the arrogance

I don't see much difference between his trying for more intensity and any other coaches

 

[HailToMichigan]

Rodriguez seeks more intensity from his players- mlive.com

Just gotta love the arrogance

I'm at it again......

Because yes, I can certainly see how, "We're not gonna break any NCAA rules" translates directly to arrogance. "Don't be a negative recruiter," that's as arrogant as it gets right there.

I believe you're spot on, RR's tactics are what provoked Paterno in the loss of Shaw and caused Tiller to publicly rebuke the "wizard hat, snake oil salesman."

I'd love to hear about what these recruiting tactics are. Can anyone tell me what it is that RR does differently in recruiting that's so abominable? Or are we just assuming that because the man's a scumbag, why, he must be using dirty tricks, he must be!

 

[billmac91]

I'm at it again......

Because yes, I can certainly see how, "We're not gonna break any NCAA rules" translates directly to arrogance. "Don't be a negative recruiter," that's as arrogant as it gets right there.




I'd love to hear about what these recruiting tactics are. Can anyone tell me what it is that RR does differently in recruiting that's so abominable? Or are we just assuming that because the man's a scumbag, why, he must be using dirty tricks, he must be!

His lawyer compares his contract situation at WVU to slaves having to buy their freedom. That's all.

 

[Steve19]

I believe you're spot on, RR's tactics are what provoked Paterno in the loss of Shaw and caused Tiller to publicly rebuke the "wizard hat, snake oil salesman."
RR strategies are obviously effective in recruiting those who were at one time solid verbals.

There is a strong possibility that this year and possibly the next, RR will seem to be a power recruiter for situational factors. By that I mean, he will be able to package the allure of his supposed revolutionizing of the Big Ten and be able to offer recruits the opportunity to play early.

A bad season this year, with some embarrassing losses, would dent that. Three losses or more next year and it will be done, especially if it looks like Tressel owns him.

 

[Steve19]

I'd love to hear about what these recruiting tactics are. Can anyone tell me what it is that RR does differently in recruiting that's so abominable? Or are we just assuming that because the man's a scumbag, why, he must be using dirty tricks, he must be!

Listen, HTM, you take a heck of a ribbing here in good grace and I appreciate that but if you look through the entire collection of posts here, you won't find Grad21 using the word "scumbag" lightly, and you will notice he used the word well before RR's association with TSUN and that he is a high school football coach who attended RR's clinic.

So, what should we do, attribute RR's alleged prowess to staying overnight at the Holiday Inn Express?

Should we believe that the stunning lack of ethics displayed in his immediate call to Pryor when he took the TSUN job, instead of his team, is not reflected in other behavior?

I would love to have been a fly on the wall of Bill Martin's office to see the look on his face when RR's "sure thing" committed to Ohio State.

There is really no need to be "at it". No one here will be convinced. We're not the guys supporting a team that has placed all its hope on one man to reverse the slide into mediocrity.

 

[ScriptOhio]

Gee, and I always thought that is was "All is fair in love and war, AND RECRUITING TOO".

 

[HailToMichigan]

We're not the guys supporting a team that has placed all its hope on one man to reverse the slide into mediocrity.

Yes you are. It's just that it already worked.

His lawyer compares his contract situation at WVU to slaves having to buy their freedom. That's all.

:( that one was retarded. I don't really get lawyer-boy, apparently he wasn't informed of a similar clause in RR's Michigan contract, but either way he just bombed his own case back to the Stone Age.

Gee, and I always thought that is was "All is fair in love and war, AND RECRUITING TOO".

Within the NCAA law of the land on recruiting, yeah, that's really the way things are right now. RR said it himself, he wasn't surprised when John Wienke booked it for Iowa (apparently Kirk Ferentz isn't in on that gentleman's agreement either), that's how things go. It'd be terrific if recruiting was as nice-nice as Steve described it up there (except, I don't think under any circumstances should a school have to inform another school that their recruit isn't so solid....that's why it's called a competition.) But in many ways the kids bring it on themselves. Taking visits to other schools after they've "committed"? That's not a commitment, and it happens all the time. Many probably do it for the same reason I was advised to rush fraternities even though I never had any intention of joining - it's a free good time, why not take advantage? But these programs aren't going to provide a free trip and then just back off.

 

[Oh8ch]

On players possibly questioning his system:

I told them I wasn't relly interested in their opinion, but when we get in a group setting in all that I'm not going to play. I'm not an "Okay what do y'all think, touchy-feely... I'm not one of them, "Are your feelings okay today, how are you emotionally (kind of guys)?" You know, it's time to work, blow the whistle and let's go. If they're having a bad day leave it across the field, outside the lines, let's work. I'm not going to give them the number to Oprah or Dr. Phil to let them express their feelings, I don't care.

I see that RR is taking a basing for this quote here and on other OSU boards. That surprises me a bit since I could imagine pretty much those same words coming out of Woody's mouth.

I guess I view RR a bit differently than some. He is a throwback to the Woody-Bear era. You CAN build effective football teams that way - or at least you could with kids of that era. And I don't think that his penchant for hard work or disregard for PC relationship building are what will cause him to ultimately fail. Woody treated his players like dogs on the field. And while he cared deeply for them he did everything to keep that from showing.

IMO RRs issues are character and integrity. Woody turned down raises to help his coaches - he didn't make demands of the University before bailing to greener pastures. Woody was all about the success of the team and the individuals he coached. He thought of himself last.

 

[shetuck]

...I guess I view RR a bit differently than some. He is a throwback to the Woody-Bear era. You CAN build effective football teams that way - or at least you could with kids of that era. And I don't think that his penchant for hard work or disregard for PC relationship building are what will cause him to ultimately fail. Woody treated his players like dogs on the field. And while he cared deeply for them he did everything to keep that from showing.

And therein lies the rub... It doesn't seem like RR cares for his players in the least. Maybe WWH treated his players like dogs, but RR is treating them like oxen. Big difference, imo...

IMO RRs issues are character and integrity. Woody turned down raises to help his coaches - he didn't make demands of the University before bailing to greener pastures. Woody was all about the success of the team and the individuals he coached. He thought of himself last.

QED...