Every team needs to employ

[Sean Miller Fan]

a "Director of Hurt Feelings." Besides the name, I'm serious. With free transfers coming and these kids today being as soft as tissue paper, programs are going to have to be more proactive to prevent transfers. Honestly, I think every program is going to have someone on staff to act as the player's best friend/baby sitter/counselor so that when Coach yells at them, they can cheer them up or when they dont average 20 PPG as a freshmen, they can talk some sense into them. This is going to get out of hand real quick.

 

[lilspainishflea]

 

[PittMan 72]

Had posted this back in October when it became apparent what was likely to happen to CFB and CBB as a result of the Portal and liberalized transfer rules. It is even more relevant now and moving forward, IMO:

Yes, the HC situation is critically important at this time. No questions or doubts about it. And the right decisions HAVE to be made in a timely and effective fashion.

But there is also something that is going to happen soon (probably in the coming spring) that will require a lot of analysis in terms of player movement, acquisitions and departures: the one time transfer with no penalty rule. It's going to pass and become implemented. College athletes will become even more empowered in terms of their ability to change schools than they are now.

For whoever the HC is at Pitt, this rule is going have an impact and open the flood gates w/r/t immediate player movement across the board. That will apply to ALL programs. It won't take the place of the need to recruit the best HS talent possible, but it will provide for the possibility to modify a roster a lot faster than now, because a player won't need an NCAA waiver to become immediately eligible at another school. It will broaden CFB & CBB's form of free agency that the Transfer Portal started. We've already seen this play out with some star players (especially high profile QB's) changing schools as grad transfers; or getting waivers (at times seemingly arbitrarily) to allow them to play immediately. But when the "1 time transfer with no penalty" is approved, it will be open season.

So it would behoove Pitt to be proactive and ready to have someone very qualified - in addition to a HFC - in place to serve in more-or-less a football GM or player personnel capacity to be a talent evaluator to work in conjunction with the HFC regarding the comings and goings within the parameters of the 85 scholarship limit. There will be opportunities to augment and modify rosters faster. To address specific needs and add an experienced player (or players) more quickly, like in the pros. There will be comings and goings. Doing it right and as well as possible will be critical and paramount. The Transfer Portal has been a game-changer and this ability for any player to transfer 1 time and play immediately with no loss of eligibility will make it even more so. Pitt needs to be prepared and ready to hit the ground running. Hope this is something that they're putting some serious thought into.

 

[anon_d97v9o3a8b6xr]

I know from what we have been told, women's soccer recruiting is a bit of mess right now because teams have no idea what players are returning, what seniors have decided to take the extra year, and who decides to leave. I think the NCAA needs to jump on this and get it solved quickly. The idea that these are "Student" athletes is clearly not the case, and getting worse. Now, I know, some schools turn out to be a poor fit for all kinds of reasons, but never have we seen such massive turnover of rosters.

 

[JD1976]

a "Director of Hurt Feelings." Besides the name, I'm serious. With free transfers coming and these kids today being as soft as tissue paper, programs are going to have to be more proactive to prevent transfers. Honestly, I think every program is going to have someone on staff to act as the player's best friend/baby sitter/counselor so that when Coach yells at them, they can cheer them up or when they dont average 20 PPG as a freshmen, they can talk some sense into them. This is going to get out of hand real quick.

I hate to break it to you, but every major program already has at least one person in charge of “personal development.”