Upon Further Review
Mike Zierath | Staff writer
Iowa is about finding the right fit in recruiting and developing talent
Week one is in the books, and boy, was it a good one! It was touted as the greatest opening week in college football history. They might have been right.
Texas looking like the Texas of old in beating Notre Dame in double overtime! An unranked Wisconsin bunch taking #5 LSU and giving them an old fashioned playground beating. FSU coming back from three scores down on Monday Night Football.
ACC: Clemson struggled with an improved Auburn defense. Florida State might have two Heisman candidates before the season ends. Pitt, with James Conner, played admirably. Louisville and wood shed can be mentioned in the same sentence.
Big 12: Oklahoma got, well, Cougared! TCU’s defense struggled against the Jack Rabbits. Baylor came out looking like the team I thought they would. How did I not pick them to win the Big 12? TCU is going to have to find some defense if they are going to make me look smart.
Pac 12: Washington looked better than I thought. Stanford looked the part. UCLA got beat by a team that I think will have a say in who wins the SEC West, and, USC quit. That’s right, quit. For one quarter, they had me believing that they could play with Alabama. I was wrong. I’ve never seen a blue blood program like that just roll over and give up. They played the whole second half in the fetal position, sucking their spoiled rotten thumbs, not knowing how to deal with the adversity that presented itself.
SEC: Didn’t really have a great opening weekend. Losses by Vandy, Kentucky, Mississippi State, LSU….Near misses by Tennessee and Arkansas. Georgia coming from behind. Bama is the clear favorite at this point.
Big Ten: OSU……I thought they might stumble and fall a bit. Didn’t look like it. I still think they will face a tougher road than most think. Michigan played with a purpose. Northwestern became directionally challenged. Rutgers got curb stomped.
It’s still early. It’ll be a couple more weeks before this whole thing starts to take better shape, but suffice to say, opening week was everything we all hoped it would be!
This week, I want to talk about recruiting a little bit. Gone are the days of getting your copy of Voice of the Hawkeye, sometime in March or April, and seeing a short article about who the Hawks signed and where they might be from. With social media today, information is almost instantaneous. Sometimes that can be a good thing, other times, well, some things should just never be mentioned before they happen. It’s like CNN embedding reporters with front line units. All the enemy has to do is turn on the TV and they can figure out where the troops are and how they can either engage or retreat. I, personally, like keeping some kids under wraps and not giving the other guy a shot at recruiting them. Alas, those days are long gone.
Now, it’s all about SPARQ numbers, Nike camps, satellite camps and US Army All-American invitations. And how fast we can get the interview.
A very wise man once told me that “The harder you analyze, the dumber you get”.
He was kind of right. His point was that there is so much information available about the kids these days that you can go on sensory overload and make poor decisions. To me, recruiting is really pretty simple. Determine your needs, go get the best fit.
Tom was lucky enough to get the opportunity to sit down with Iowa’s Recruiting coordinators this pre-season. They had some enlightening information in regard to position management and roster management. They put a pretty high priority on determining their needs, rightfully so.
What are the most important needs on a team?
We all know it starts up front. Recruiting kids to block and tackle are #1 and #2 in my book. It has been discussed why it seems to be such a difficult task for them based on the success they have with putting kids in the NFL at key positions. One would naturally think it has to be a recruiting tool. Iowa does a really nice job “developing” (Remember that term) the kids once they are in the program, but struggles to bring in those big name kids on a consistent basis (AJ Epenesa and Adrian Clayborn excluded).
Same thing happens on the offensive line, even though Iowa has a reputation of putting high caliber kids in the NFL, over and over. But, once again, Iowa takes what they can get and develops them into that NFL level talent.
Two other positions that you have to consider the most important are cornerback and quarterback. Corner is another position that Iowa has had quite a bit of success with when it comes to the next level. Plenty of examples to point at. Quarterback, on the other hand, doesn’t have a whole bunch of kids that you can say, “he’s played, he’s still there or he’s starting”. Matter of fact, most Iowa quarterbacks that do go to the NFL, all the way back to Chuck Long, either get the chance to carry a clipboard or stay long enough to have a cup of coffee. Mark Vlasic might be the only one that got any extended playing time, and he really only played in about a dozen or so games over a 5 or 6 year career.
While I know most of you won’t agree with the assessment of those four positions, when looking at the years Iowa has been good, those positions have been extremely solid.
How do you judge talent? A coach hears about a player, gets a tape, and starts the evaluation process based on a reel of exceptional plays the young man has been able to capture on film. Seems pretty simple, until you realize that there is a heck of a lot more that goes into it. Very seldom, can anyone watch a 60 second highlight reel and tell me if a kid is going to be good. Does he show speed? Sure. Does he show moves? You bet. Does he throw, catch, tackle and block? Depends on his position, but I pick all the above. Here’s a better question; what’s he look like when he doesn’t have his hands on the ball? Does he stand around, or, is he contributing in some other way that helps his team. I want to see the whole package. I want to see him practice. I want to see his mediocre and bad plays too. Does he learn from mistakes he makes? When the going gets tough, does he get tougher or quit? What’s his character? How is he doing academically? What is he doing on social media?
There is an entire vetting process that occurs while beginning to build that relationship with this prospective athlete.
The relationship. What do kids want exactly? Do they need the Jim Harbaugh style of attention grabbing headlines? Or, do they just need to feel comfortable and fit in? Is it a fraternity or a family? Is it the big name? Is it national championships? Or is it what the school name can do for you after you are gone. For most, it’s probably a combination of those things. At Iowa, they want the kid that will dedicate themselves to the program. That they can be comfortable. That there really is a family atmosphere and they will get a good education along with the football experience.
Maybe the most important element in the recruiting process to understand is that you are only going to be right about 40% of the time. That means 60% of the time, you were wrong. Put that into perspective for a second. 4 out of 10 kids will end up helping your program in a highly beneficial capacity. The other 6 will likely be a high percentage of your attrition factor or just never contribute much beyond filling space on the depth chart.
In Iowa’s case, they have to take it a step further and really sell the “Developmental” factor. They have to show that they can take a lightly regarded player, and turn them into someone that has an NFL career, like Dallas Clark. Iowa isn’t one of the blue bloods, as much as we’d like them to be. They are a developmental program, by design, because of that. Because they are forced to be. Because of the atmosphere in college football today.
Fortunately, we have had two head coaches over the last 38 years that recognized that and done a really good job of teaching that to their staff. They have been exceptional in creating an atmosphere that teaches kids how to achieve the opportunity to play beyond college.
Last thing. The breaking news in the college football world this afternoon was that Art Briles has given an interview to ESPN and will admit that “He made some mistakes”. I’d be really curious to know how many of you would consider giving Art Briles another shot at coaching major college football. What circumstances would have to present themselves? For me, I think that the baggage that comes along with a guy, who I’ve met, and the circumstances of that baggage, might be a little too much if I were in the position of hiring a new head football coach. I think I’d have to understand exactly what he knew and did or didn’t know and do. Like the Kennedy assassination here in Dallas, I’m not so sure we’ll ever know the details of that report that led to his firing. Sometimes, winning isn’t as important as the integrity of your school and program. I will say this, he’s a very personable guy with a very successful football background. He’ll get another opportunity. Probably at a MAC, AAC or Mountain West program, where he will succeed in building another winner, and hopefully, learn from the mistakes of his past and never let those types of things occur in the culture he creates at his next stop.
Mike Zierath | Staff writer
Iowa is about finding the right fit in recruiting and developing talent
Week one is in the books, and boy, was it a good one! It was touted as the greatest opening week in college football history. They might have been right.
Texas looking like the Texas of old in beating Notre Dame in double overtime! An unranked Wisconsin bunch taking #5 LSU and giving them an old fashioned playground beating. FSU coming back from three scores down on Monday Night Football.
ACC: Clemson struggled with an improved Auburn defense. Florida State might have two Heisman candidates before the season ends. Pitt, with James Conner, played admirably. Louisville and wood shed can be mentioned in the same sentence.
Big 12: Oklahoma got, well, Cougared! TCU’s defense struggled against the Jack Rabbits. Baylor came out looking like the team I thought they would. How did I not pick them to win the Big 12? TCU is going to have to find some defense if they are going to make me look smart.
Pac 12: Washington looked better than I thought. Stanford looked the part. UCLA got beat by a team that I think will have a say in who wins the SEC West, and, USC quit. That’s right, quit. For one quarter, they had me believing that they could play with Alabama. I was wrong. I’ve never seen a blue blood program like that just roll over and give up. They played the whole second half in the fetal position, sucking their spoiled rotten thumbs, not knowing how to deal with the adversity that presented itself.
SEC: Didn’t really have a great opening weekend. Losses by Vandy, Kentucky, Mississippi State, LSU….Near misses by Tennessee and Arkansas. Georgia coming from behind. Bama is the clear favorite at this point.
Big Ten: OSU……I thought they might stumble and fall a bit. Didn’t look like it. I still think they will face a tougher road than most think. Michigan played with a purpose. Northwestern became directionally challenged. Rutgers got curb stomped.
It’s still early. It’ll be a couple more weeks before this whole thing starts to take better shape, but suffice to say, opening week was everything we all hoped it would be!
This week, I want to talk about recruiting a little bit. Gone are the days of getting your copy of Voice of the Hawkeye, sometime in March or April, and seeing a short article about who the Hawks signed and where they might be from. With social media today, information is almost instantaneous. Sometimes that can be a good thing, other times, well, some things should just never be mentioned before they happen. It’s like CNN embedding reporters with front line units. All the enemy has to do is turn on the TV and they can figure out where the troops are and how they can either engage or retreat. I, personally, like keeping some kids under wraps and not giving the other guy a shot at recruiting them. Alas, those days are long gone.
Now, it’s all about SPARQ numbers, Nike camps, satellite camps and US Army All-American invitations. And how fast we can get the interview.
A very wise man once told me that “The harder you analyze, the dumber you get”.
He was kind of right. His point was that there is so much information available about the kids these days that you can go on sensory overload and make poor decisions. To me, recruiting is really pretty simple. Determine your needs, go get the best fit.
Tom was lucky enough to get the opportunity to sit down with Iowa’s Recruiting coordinators this pre-season. They had some enlightening information in regard to position management and roster management. They put a pretty high priority on determining their needs, rightfully so.
What are the most important needs on a team?
We all know it starts up front. Recruiting kids to block and tackle are #1 and #2 in my book. It has been discussed why it seems to be such a difficult task for them based on the success they have with putting kids in the NFL at key positions. One would naturally think it has to be a recruiting tool. Iowa does a really nice job “developing” (Remember that term) the kids once they are in the program, but struggles to bring in those big name kids on a consistent basis (AJ Epenesa and Adrian Clayborn excluded).
Same thing happens on the offensive line, even though Iowa has a reputation of putting high caliber kids in the NFL, over and over. But, once again, Iowa takes what they can get and develops them into that NFL level talent.
Two other positions that you have to consider the most important are cornerback and quarterback. Corner is another position that Iowa has had quite a bit of success with when it comes to the next level. Plenty of examples to point at. Quarterback, on the other hand, doesn’t have a whole bunch of kids that you can say, “he’s played, he’s still there or he’s starting”. Matter of fact, most Iowa quarterbacks that do go to the NFL, all the way back to Chuck Long, either get the chance to carry a clipboard or stay long enough to have a cup of coffee. Mark Vlasic might be the only one that got any extended playing time, and he really only played in about a dozen or so games over a 5 or 6 year career.
While I know most of you won’t agree with the assessment of those four positions, when looking at the years Iowa has been good, those positions have been extremely solid.
How do you judge talent? A coach hears about a player, gets a tape, and starts the evaluation process based on a reel of exceptional plays the young man has been able to capture on film. Seems pretty simple, until you realize that there is a heck of a lot more that goes into it. Very seldom, can anyone watch a 60 second highlight reel and tell me if a kid is going to be good. Does he show speed? Sure. Does he show moves? You bet. Does he throw, catch, tackle and block? Depends on his position, but I pick all the above. Here’s a better question; what’s he look like when he doesn’t have his hands on the ball? Does he stand around, or, is he contributing in some other way that helps his team. I want to see the whole package. I want to see him practice. I want to see his mediocre and bad plays too. Does he learn from mistakes he makes? When the going gets tough, does he get tougher or quit? What’s his character? How is he doing academically? What is he doing on social media?
There is an entire vetting process that occurs while beginning to build that relationship with this prospective athlete.
The relationship. What do kids want exactly? Do they need the Jim Harbaugh style of attention grabbing headlines? Or, do they just need to feel comfortable and fit in? Is it a fraternity or a family? Is it the big name? Is it national championships? Or is it what the school name can do for you after you are gone. For most, it’s probably a combination of those things. At Iowa, they want the kid that will dedicate themselves to the program. That they can be comfortable. That there really is a family atmosphere and they will get a good education along with the football experience.
Maybe the most important element in the recruiting process to understand is that you are only going to be right about 40% of the time. That means 60% of the time, you were wrong. Put that into perspective for a second. 4 out of 10 kids will end up helping your program in a highly beneficial capacity. The other 6 will likely be a high percentage of your attrition factor or just never contribute much beyond filling space on the depth chart.
In Iowa’s case, they have to take it a step further and really sell the “Developmental” factor. They have to show that they can take a lightly regarded player, and turn them into someone that has an NFL career, like Dallas Clark. Iowa isn’t one of the blue bloods, as much as we’d like them to be. They are a developmental program, by design, because of that. Because they are forced to be. Because of the atmosphere in college football today.
Fortunately, we have had two head coaches over the last 38 years that recognized that and done a really good job of teaching that to their staff. They have been exceptional in creating an atmosphere that teaches kids how to achieve the opportunity to play beyond college.
Last thing. The breaking news in the college football world this afternoon was that Art Briles has given an interview to ESPN and will admit that “He made some mistakes”. I’d be really curious to know how many of you would consider giving Art Briles another shot at coaching major college football. What circumstances would have to present themselves? For me, I think that the baggage that comes along with a guy, who I’ve met, and the circumstances of that baggage, might be a little too much if I were in the position of hiring a new head football coach. I think I’d have to understand exactly what he knew and did or didn’t know and do. Like the Kennedy assassination here in Dallas, I’m not so sure we’ll ever know the details of that report that led to his firing. Sometimes, winning isn’t as important as the integrity of your school and program. I will say this, he’s a very personable guy with a very successful football background. He’ll get another opportunity. Probably at a MAC, AAC or Mountain West program, where he will succeed in building another winner, and hopefully, learn from the mistakes of his past and never let those types of things occur in the culture he creates at his next stop.
