what would 11-2 do for recruiting?

[ShowDog]

I know it is getting way ahead of the game, but we are the fans and we can do that, as long as the team stays focused on the task at hand:

If Cajuns ran the table, including a New Orleans Bowl win (and this is quite possible, even if a difficult challenge), then do you think recruiting would see immediate across the board substantial hit?

Seems like even in the best recruiting years Cajuns can only hope for a couple of star players who somehow fall through the cracks of major programs' recruitng or pick Cajuns for location or playing time, while having mostly one star prospects. I know that the star rating system is surely problematic and it is not possible to really predict these players' success, especially while they are still growing. However, a team full of one star prospects almost always loses to a team full of 3 star prospects, so it is an indication of talent.

Would many talented players come to UL that is dominating the sunbelt, rather than to bottom tier BCS teams or top tier conference usa / wac / MWest / mac teams? Or would it just be disgruntled or troubled BCS type players who are looking to transfer and then would have cajuns on radar more so than other mid major teams?

Do you think there is a ceiling on what Cajuns can do in recruiting, based on sunbelt?

I am not being negative, just asking for opinions?

Certainly beating Houston and the upcoming national TV game will help exposure. New Orleans Bowl would be fantastic. However, I think that in order to take it to the next level, Cajuns need to fill the stands on consistent basis, and find ways to raise money from fans, due to state not providing much. Then when there is another conference realignment, things might work out for cajuns to move up. Or, even better, if UL becomes a well supported and funded top sunbelt program, then the inevitable success coming for FIU and FAU (due to their deep pockets and location) will help sunbelt and cajuns get more respect.

If the Cajuns are to continue this great run in sunbelt and win a few titles (quite possible) over the next few years, then the program has to get more out of it than North Texas did. North Texas' winning in Sunbelt for a few years put them on a small national stage but very little came out of it, unfortunately, for that program, as they have fallen again.

We need to recruit nationally. Recruiting is selling and any sales rep will tell you it's a numbers game. The more prospects you have, the better the chances are you'll get one. We need to be the school getting the ones who slipthrough the cracks. The way to do that is be everywhere you can. Network information like crazy. If you see or hear of a good HS player, let someone at UL know.

[manizzle]

we need national exposure. why aren't we on weeknight games? a dominating season would be exponentially better for recruiting if there was some way for these potential recruits to see that they will get noticed playing at UL. Right now that is not really the case, but if we can get on tv semi-regularly, and not just on the cox sports channel, we can change that...

[RaginFan2]

we need national exposure. why aren't we on weeknight games? a dominating season would be exponentially better for recruiting if there was some way for these potential recruits to see that they will get noticed playing at UL. Right now that is not really the case, but if we can get on tv semi-regularly, and not just on the cox sports channel, we can change that...

Uh, we ARE on this Wed. night on ESPN2, right?

[Pirogue]

Uh, we ARE on this Wed. night on ESPN2, right?

i WAS AFRAID THAT THE POST WAS SARCASM... BUT WHO KNOWS...

[Kal]

Even if we win the rest of our games this season, I still don't think we have to worry about Bustle for at least 3 or 4 more years. I recall Jay telling Bustle that while the program has turned around, it's taken a little more time than we all would have liked. The point i'm trying to make is that it took Bustle 5 years to get where we are now. I know that our program was in the toilet when he took it over and what we've accomplished since then is to his credit. But many schools that are going to fire their coaches over the next few years may look at this and say, "We aren't willing to wait 5 years for the program to turn around and start moving up." It's not Bustle's fault that it has taken 5 years but I do believe that other universities looking to hire him will take that statistic into account. Bad for Bustle but good for us.

[Cajun Express]

If Cajuns ran the table, including a New Orleans Bowl win (and this is quite possible, even if a difficult challenge), then do you think recruiting would see immediate across the board substantial hit?

Seems like even in the best recruiting years Cajuns can only hope for a couple of star players who somehow fall through the cracks of major programs' recruitng or pick Cajuns for location or playing time, while having mostly one star prospects. I know that the star rating system is surely problematic and it is not possible to really predict these players' success, especially while they are still growing. However, a team full of one star prospects almost always loses to a team full of 3 star prospects, so it is an indication of talent.

Would many talented players come to UL that is dominating the sunbelt, rather than to bottom tier BCS teams or top tier conference usa / wac / MWest / mac teams? Or would it just be disgruntled or troubled BCS type players who are looking to transfer and then would have cajuns on radar more so than other mid major teams?

Do you think there is a ceiling on what Cajuns can do in recruiting, based on sunbelt?

I think the most immediate improvement might just be getting three or four more players per season who are high quality that might have chosen an LTU,ULM,TULANE for example. I think at this stage of the game most teams have pretty much aligned with the recruits that are possible and proable. I am sure there are a half dozen or so quality recruits that are up in the air over the teams mentioned. Playing time also becomes an issue for kids not going to BCS schools.

If we get 4 players of higher quality than before for five years that is almost 20% of the squad. Not shabb considering we are pretty pleased with what we have been getting of late. That translates into depth.

[RaginFan2]

i WAS AFRAID THAT THE POST WAS SARCASM... BUT WHO KNOWS...

Sarcasm???? Moi? OK, you caught me on that one. I just thought it a bit odd that the comment was made about us needing to be on weeknight TV right when we are scheduled for an appearance on this Wed. night.

[shof]

Even if we win the rest of our games this season, I still don't think we have to worry about Bustle for at least 3 or 4 more years. I recall Jay telling Bustle that while the program has turned around, it's taken a little more time than we all would have liked. The point i'm trying to make is that it took Bustle 5 years to get where we are now. I know that our program was in the toilet when he took it over and what we've accomplished since then is to his credit. But many schools that are going to fire their coaches over the next few years may look at this and say, "We aren't willing to wait 5 years for the program to turn around and start moving up." It's not Bustle's fault that it has taken 5 years but I do believe that other universities looking to hire him will take that statistic into account. Bad for Bustle but good for us.

Kal,

Also think bigger schools will want to make sure its not a flash in the pan, aka, North Texas with DD. Sure, they dominated the SunBelt for a few years; but look at them now. Sustained excellence might do it; but it will take more than 1 or 2 good years. At that point, I'd have to say "Thanks Coach and Good Luck". But you never know, he just might really like it here and not be in a big hurry to leave if the situation is still improving at UL.

Shof

[Just1More]

It is the traditional competing interest... if the coach (and/or the program) does great, we may lose the coach, or coaches. However, in the time it takes to get the required attention, the program builds, succeeds, and the dividends outweigh that potential loss. It always hurts a program to lose the head coach, but the other 12 associated benefits are generally held in check, up until and thru the acclimation of the next coach (if it is strictly due to the program's success).

That said, I don't see Bustle leaving any time soon. I do expect the program to build and he will be inching up the attention list. I really like what Bustle and his staff have been able to do. We have improved in many, many categories since his arrival. We want instant success, but slow determined success is much much better. And, that is what this football program is doing.

It is always great when one of your worries is "will we be so successful that we may lose our coach to a bigger program?" That is the kind of problem we need. Geaux Cajuns!!!

[Kal]

Kal,

Also think bigger schools will want to make sure its not a flash in the pan, aka, North Texas with DD. Sure, they dominated the SunBelt for a few years; but look at them now. Sustained excellence might do it; but it will take more than 1 or 2 good years. At that point, I'd have to say "Thanks Coach and Good Luck". But you never know, he just might really like it here and not be in a big hurry to leave if the situation is still improving at UL.

Shof

I sure hope you are right because I really like Bustle as the head coach.

[MiamiCajun32]

I sure hope you are right because I really like Bustle as the head coach.

Of course we could not keep Bustle from going to a major BCS program, as that would be an opportunity of a lifetime. However, he is not going to be recruited by those top programs unless he has great success for a number of years (which would be a great problem for Cajuns to have).

The key is keeping Bustle from considering 2nd tier teams, such as conf usa teams or high end wac or mwest programs. These programs can offer more compensation and more financial support to program. Cajun nation needs to figure out how to do what the university cannot financially do, when it comes to keeping Bustle for a number of more years.

I think Bustle has a much better chance of becoming top end BCS coach if he stays with Cajuns, than if he goes to a conference usa type team. Why? Cajuns have better chance to dominate the lowly sunbelt than any team in conference usa has of dominating year after year. It is quite a challenge for the Cajuns to be able to win sunbelt for several years in a row and the odds are against it, but those odds are better than what Bustle would face as coach in a more competitve conference. And the key to getting the big BCS job, the million dollar+ jobs, are winning big year after year as a D-1 coach and taking a smaller program to the higher level, with bowls year after year.

But if Bustle would ever be offered 50% more compensation to run a more financially supported program, then it would be hard to pass up, regardless of his fondness for Cajuns program he has built into a winner.

[locoguano]

Bustle actually has an ideal situation down here... he is in the most fertile recruiting grounds in the country... even if we get big12 and sec cast-offs down here, they are still better than the top guys in many parts of the country...


Should Bustle leave, will this be our new head coach (to keep the spread offense going)?

Rob Christophel