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With all the New head coaches being announced  for some top D1 schools, what does it mean for the recruits that have already committed?

A friend of mine last year went through this and decommitted  , and he was lucky that the  RC who recruited was able to get him in at the new school he was the HC at.

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Coaching changes at all divisions happen, and it can be very frustrating.  The HC at my oldest's school is still there but all the assistants have churned.  The HC and all the assistants were bounced at my youngest's school this time last year, just two months before my son was showing up on campus. 

The situations vary greatly.  We've seen it suggested to kids that perhaps they should seek other opportunities.  We've also seen it where the new staff wants to keep every kid.

In our situation, my youngest was not recruited by this new staff.  It's a suboptimal situation for sure.  We queried the new staff on several conference calls and they were adamant they wanted him (based only on video as they never saw him live).  But if I had it to do over again, I would have been more forceful in cautioning my son that he wasn't going where he was loved....they didn't really know him at all. 

It's a very tough situation.  The kids are sold on the school.  And now the coaches are gone.  And probably the kids' other opportunities as well.

Great perspective from Branson on how challenging it can be.  It is not mentioned very often in the recruiting advice, but understanding the HC's situation at a school is critical in making the final decision.  My son was talking with a school that had a deteriorating record over the past few years and while it was not all about winning, coaching stability played a key part in his decision not to pursue the interest.  Sure enough that coach is now out. 

A winning coach could just as easily jump at a better opportunity, and those are not easy to figure out.  But my 2017 always asked the coaches how committed they are to the school and program.  Some were pretty honest, but others you could tell hedged on the answer.  But at least if you go to a successful winning program that loses the HC, they will likely promote an assistant or think highly of the current and recruited players.  Go to a losing program where the HC gets booted and the assumption is the current players are at fault and the recruits are just more of the same.  It is a much harder situation to overcome. 

"With all the New head coaches being announced for some top D1 schools, what does it mean for the recruits that have already committed?"

In one way or another, the new HC will remake the program with his own recruits. Now, this means that some of the former recruits become the new coaches recruits, while others will be formally let go or forced out. Verbals will be treated with the worth of a verbal,(I.e., worthless until the NLI); kids who signed NLIs will either become the new coaches recruits or be cut. See, e.g., Nevada , UA, and ASU.

Sometimes, what appears to be a disaster to a kid, will actually be the new coach trying to keep the kid's eligibility intact. For example, new HC tells the incoming recruiting class - before school starts - that the kid will be cut during fall or not make the spring squad. The NLI offer is good (kid gets the economic benefit) for the year (or more if applicable), but the kid burns a year of eligibility and may even need to sit out a year at a new school. By cutting the kid before school begins, the kid doesn't lose eligibility and can find another place. (Often the kid and family, can't see the benefit of that result, but it is better than losing a year.)

This is one of the unfortunate circumstances and the kid has no control whatsoever. If the NLI is signed, the kid is bound to the school; however, if the offer hasn't ripened into an NLI, the kid can reopen recruiting (decommit) and other programs wouldn't think twice about recruiting a worthy player for that program.

A kid can decommit if he hasn't signed anything. But as recruiting moves up earlier in the process the likelihood of a roster spot and money elsewhere is diminished. Not that staying with a coach who didn't recruit you is a good idea. Chances are the kid is left holding the short end of the stick.

Goosegg posted:

"With all the New head coaches being announced for some top D1 schools, what does it mean for the recruits that have already committed?"

If the NLI is signed, the kid is bound to the school; however, if the offer hasn't ripened into an NLI, the kid can reopen recruiting (decommit) and other programs wouldn't think twice about recruiting a worthy player for that program.

I believe if a head coach resigns after a NLI is signed, the player can get/request a release if he chooses to go elsewhere.  However, the opportunities are very limited mid-November senior year (unless you are a LHP throwing in the 90's).

The coach where Keewarson committed left 2 weeks after he signed his NLI.  Son made the best of it,  knowing he was not one of "the new coach's guys".  So he played hard and had a driven work ethic to prove himself worthy to be in the lineup opening day.  

fenwaysouth posted:
joemktg posted:
TPM posted:

Any bets on the new coach for South Carolina?

Coach Szefc. And that would be unfortunate for Virginia Tech.

Joe - I'm going with Holbrook going to VT.  He knows the Virginia territory, and travel teams.   Thoughts?

You're right about market and channel knowledge. However, VT is a turnaround situation, and I don't know if that's a fit for Coach Holbrook, i.e., it's a high risk situation for him. On the other hand, Coach Stiffler has the same relationships, and his track record at a mid-major has been successful (other than Davidson taking 2 from VCU). Note that Coach Stiffler is losing a ton of seniors, so this may be a good time for a jump to a Power 5 challenge.

The other VT candidate is the aforementioned Coach Szefc, but I think that's a perfect fit for USC. Coach Szefc with USC resources? Wow.

fenwaysouth posted:
joemktg posted:
TPM posted:

Any bets on the new coach for South Carolina?

Coach Szefc. And that would be unfortunate for Virginia Tech.

Joe - I'm going with Holbrook going to VT.  He knows the Virginia territory, and travel teams.   Thoughts?

As discussed in the other thread, Szefc goes to VT, and that's great news for Blacksburg. He knows the territory, the travel teams, and walks into a great situation. 

c2019 posted:

With all the New head coaches being announced  for some top D1 schools, what does it mean for the recruits that have already committed?

A friend of mine last year went through this and decommitted  , and he was lucky that the  RC who recruited was able to get him in at the new school he was the HC at.

New coaches don't want any ambiguity about who deserves the credit when they turn things around, so most new major conference baseball head coaches can be expected to wash out all but the true studs among their predecessor's recruits within a year or two.  

New high school grads who already signed NLI's don't have many options unless they are high draft prospects: honor the NLI or go to a JUCO. Unless they are true studs, they can expect to be viewed at best as transition or bridge players until the new coach gets his own recruits on campus. Go, make the best of things, but don't be surprised if no level of effort is sufficient to make you part of the long-term plan. Especially if the news reports about the departure of the old coach and arrival of the new one emphasize the need to improve recruiting.

As for verbally committed players completing their junior or younger year of high school and preferred walk-ons who didn't sign letters of intent, unless the new coach quickly and persuasively attempts to recruit you as his own, I recommend re-opening communications with other schools that previously showed interest and exploring all other options.

And don't count on guaranteed multi-year scholarships to offer any protection. 

Last edited by Swampboy

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