Recruiting Mostly About Coaches, Not Schools or Area

Story at Sports Illustrated points out it's all about relationships that get best athletes

Author:
Andy Hodges
Publish date:
Apr 6, 2022 3:21 PM EDT

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — It probably shouldn't be surprising the best athletes pick their school based on the coaches.

It may be a grand setting with beauty and prosperity all around, but that isn't a big deal.

Sports Illustrated's Jason Jordan discovered this and it's perfectly clear in a story this morning.

“When we come to a school it’s because we get to know the coaches,” said Yohan Traore, who recently committed to Auburn after an initial pledge to LSU. “You don’t come for the school; not at first.”

Sam Pittman-Spring Practice — Linebacker Bumper Pool and Sam Pittman during spring practice earlier this year inside Razorback Stadium. (Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images)

He never understood what the Geaux meant around the Tigers, the school fight song or any of the other things fans hold dear. During the recruitment process he really didn't care.

Whether that's the right mindset or not isn't really relevant. It is reality.

It is exactly why Arkansas is suddenly starting to shoot up the ladder in recruiting across all sports, but especially the ones that matter. Football, basketball and baseball are the biggest marketing tools for a university.

Things in Fayetteville are no different.

Multiple stories have been written and words spoken on what Sam Pittman in football, Eric Musselman and Mike Neighbors in basketball and Dave Van Horn in baseball are doing bringing in big-name recruits.

Eric Musselman-Gonzaga — Kelley L. Cox / USA TODAY Sports

Until a couple of years ago, the built-in excuse for failure was the state didn't produce a lot of big-time players.

Arkansas never has done that in high numbers.

Those coaches are recruiting on a national scale and they are looking at players who can play at the next level. Helping them get there is what the best athletes are wanting to see.

"It could be the right school, but if you don’t have the right coach it’s over," junior guard Marvel Allen said in the story after backing out of a commitment to LSU when Will Wade was fired. A lot of guys come from nothing, and this is their chance to make it for their family."

Pittman is landing players because he's spent decades sending guys to the NFL.

Musselman puts players in the NBA and has shown he can do it with a one-and-one. Moses Moody's success at Golden State has proven that.

Mike Neighbors-Auburn — Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images

Neighbors has coached some of the top college players in the game and gotten them into the next level.

Van Horn's list of major league players is so long he'd probably need a cheat sheet to recall all the names.

The Hogs are starting to recruit on a national level and it doesn't have much of anything to do with the scenic views in Northwest Arkansas or the lifestyle.

Players are coming here for the coaches.

Fans really don't care, either. Whatever they say really doesn't matter that much.

It's about the coaches.

And the Hogs seem to have that figured out right now.