Question for recruitniks

[pittbb80]

It seems to me that this staff is far more aggressive with the recruiting process than we've seen in the past, particularly, the last crew. Perhaps its just my perception because I've just recently started following Vukovans site but these guys seem to stay on top of current commits more (see McVitte and Pine) to ensure they keep them and also continue to aggressively pursue kids who are committed to other teams. They also don't appear to back off of high end kids that are far outside the recruiting area (the big DL kid from Cali).

For those who have been following recruiting closely over the years, is this group of coaches more aggressive than prior staffs or is it just that the info is more readily available. Would be interested to hear opinions

Regardless, I like the way HCPN approaches recruiting and it appears this class will be one that provides immediate and longer term help...

 

[DrTongue]

I started following recruiting in 1979 or thereabouts. Joe Teranova-bought his book for years. Recruiting today is so different from what I recall from those days...er...what was I talking about...?

 

[yourhired]

Dr. Tongue that makes two of us buying Joe Teranova recruiting books. Fond memories.

 

[Parkview57]

It seems to me that this staff is far more aggressive with the recruiting process than we've seen in the past, particularly, the last crew. Perhaps its just my perception because I've just recently started following Vukovans site but these guys seem to stay on top of current commits more (see McVitte and Pine) to ensure they keep them and also continue to aggressively pursue kids who are committed to other teams. They also don't appear to back off of high end kids that are far outside the recruiting area (the big DL kid from Cali).

For those who have been following recruiting closely over the years, is this group of coaches more aggressive than prior staffs or is it just that the info is more readily available. Would be interested to hear opinions

Regardless, I like the way HCPN approaches recruiting and it appears this class will be one that provides immediate and longer term help...

Well, I know even less about the process than you, but my take is that Narduzzi knows the college game so well and he is so confident in what and how he is building the program that he is far more open about what he is working on than some of our previous "regimes". Thus the average message board visitor (me) has more knowledge than before about who,what and where the staff is working on. To everything there is a season and the season right now is to get the best players (High School, Seniors but to a lesser extent juniors and sophomores as well) interested in the Pitt program and Narduzzi knows you have to find a way to be a good communicator and draw them in. If you are a slick and a smooth operator you use that technique, but if you grew up in Youngstown, boldness may be your strength so you find a way to make that work. Just my opinion.

 

[cruzer]

It certainly seems like we're at least involved in the discussion with more of the "high end" recruits (mostly 4 star types) then prior staffs. Whether that translates into better recruiting is TBD.

 

[MajorMajors]

It seems to me that this staff is far more aggressive with the recruiting process than we've seen in the past, particularly, the last crew. Perhaps its just my perception because I've just recently started following Vukovans site but these guys seem to stay on top of current commits more (see McVitte and Pine) to ensure they keep them and also continue to aggressively pursue kids who are committed to other teams. They also don't appear to back off of high end kids that are far outside the recruiting area (the big DL kid from Cali).

For those who have been following recruiting closely over the years, is this group of coaches more aggressive than prior staffs or is it just that the info is more readily available. Would be interested to hear opinions

Regardless, I like the way HCPN approaches recruiting and it appears this class will be one that provides immediate and longer term help...

I think - with the exception of Coach Chryst - that the difference is that the info is much more available.

I think Toddy was aggressive and Wanny's staff seemed aggressive. I think most staffs are aggressive because the assistant coaches want to make a name for themselves and recruiting gives them another chance to "compete" against their peers...

Another point is that the higher rated or more coveted the recruit, the more you better babysit them, because others are not going to give up on them. There are so many recruits out there who are interchangeable, but then there's that upper 25% or so - the elite guys. If you corral one of them, you better keep an eye on the barn door. I think guys like MacVittie and Pine are coveted by other teams because of their upside.

Fingers crossed until the faxes are in...

Go Pitt.

 

[vegasgreed]

More aggressive than Chryst? The answer is yes. More aggressive than most good staff, not necessarily.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

More aggressive than Chryst? The answer is yes. More aggressive than most good staff, not necessarily.

Pretty much sums it up. The other thing that I'll add is that it seems they seem to recruiting and offering kids from places we haven't traditionally recruited. Not sure why that is - maybe some of the coaches have some ins in some of those areas.

 

[bobfree]

It seems to me that this staff is far more aggressive with the recruiting process than we've seen in the past, particularly, the last crew. Perhaps its just my perception because I've just recently started following Vukovans site but these guys seem to stay on top of current commits more (see McVitte and Pine) to ensure they keep them and also continue to aggressively pursue kids who are committed to other teams. They also don't appear to back off of high end kids that are far outside the recruiting area (the big DL kid from Cali).

For those who have been following recruiting closely over the years, is this group of coaches more aggressive than prior staffs or is it just that the info is more readily available. Would be interested to hear opinions

Regardless, I like the way HCPN approaches recruiting and it appears this class will be one that provides immediate and longer term help...

Big nick!!

 

[Leo Ridens]

I started following recruiting in 1979 or thereabouts. Joe Teranova-bought his book for years. Recruiting today is so different from what I recall from those days...er...what was I talking about...?

Ah, Joe Terranova. I still have some of his booklets from the early 90s. It was very different then. Now it is much more of a business and cutthroat - not that there was none of it back then.

 

[oldpanther]

Dr. Tongue that makes two of us buying Joe Teranova recruiting books. Fond memories.

Throw me into the Joe T. group also, that was a very long time ago.

 

[clairton11]

Ah, Joe Terranova. I still have some of his booklets from the early 90s. It was very different then. Now it is much more of a business and cutthroat - not that there was none of it back then.

Joe Terranova...Dearborn, Michigan...1980...

 

[TIGER-PAUL]

I think more aggressive, but also more money to do it.

 

[Jeffburgh]

I have posted this a number of times - Nards is sort of a Frankenstein version of the best qualities of Wanny and Graham.

Graham was a for real college coach in the day and age. But, he was misplaced in the North and specifically in Pittsburgh.

Wanny bled Pitt blood, but listened to Run DMC on the cassettes in his car and wound down in the evenings watching taped Miami Vice reruns on his DVD.

Graham had minimal connections to this region, and also brought most of his staff with him who likewise had minimal connections overall in this area.

Duzz has lifelong, natural connections in the Ohio area that is part of the Pitt recruiting sphere.

He also said that every one his staff would have to LIKE recruiting, and he made good on that, while also strategically building his staff no only with proven recruiters, but also VERY strategically with areas that fit into Pitt's natural recruiting areas - Powell with some VA connections, Salem strong in NJ, his guys with Ohio region connections, supplemented with Hill, Harley and Conklin with some Florida connections.

IMO, NJ is sort of a bell weather for Pitt recruiting. It just seems when the program is recruiting well overall, it is recruiting well in NJ.

Wanny was a confident and effective recruiter, but was not as strident on the scouting aspect as Nards crew is, he just sort of looked at recruiting rankings and went after kids. He did have a good eye for DL and RBs, but overall, just was, again, sort of that Miami mindset to go get athletes and figure it out, while also having a pro football mindset. This was related in his mindset of under recruiting QB, you could win in the NFL back then with a good defense and mediocre QB, in fact, it was like he was most comfortable with that.

Meanwhile, unlike Graham, Duzz WANTS to be at Pitt, he sees the area and the University like an alum would see it, so he is selling from the heart. AND, is absolutely tuned into college football in the year 2016 ...

 

[Teh Teh]

Pretty sure stache used laser disc

 

[pittdan77]

I think the fact that so many big names still have Pitt on their short list tells you everything you need to know about this staff and the work they're putting in right now.