How Recruiting and Results Work ( jmo )

[CajunGuru]

_ That's where us FCS schools have one small advantage. If we let them know we are interested, they may show back up if their FBS hopes don't work out.

Doc _

Well, I think you have hit on a point Doc. The CowBoys have offered several of Tech's commitments and others that the Cajuns,S. Miss,etc. have offered. You guys certainly are not scared to at least try to extend offers to kids. Tech is even doing the same, offering kids that are SEC prospects. We clearly have not done much of that, and are paying a price now.

[MissingMandy]

_ Turbine,

I applaud your optimism but come on.

By your rational, that means that after last season and this season, we are going to have poor recruiting classes. So should we expect to be lousy in the years following the Seniors of the 2005 class? Is that what we're supposed to be hanging our hopes on?

It is called "BUILDING" a program. Good football programs don't count on 1 great recruiting class to have one great year and then stink it up for the next two years. They constantly have quality recruits coming in every year and when a great player leaves, there is another good player right there to take his place. Sure you might drop off a little, but after a few games you rarely miss the other player. It's like the old saying, "They don't rebuild, they reload." We are doing niether.

I actually met a father of a high school kicker in this area the other day and he told me that his son has kicked field goals over 50 yards in his high school games. He said that his son has gotten letters from LSU, Tulane, ULM, McNeese and La Tech. You want to know how many letters he has gotten from UL. ZERO!!!!!!! Now I don't know this guy or his son and he could be just blowing smoke, but everything this guy said sounds exactly like other stories that I have heard in the past, which is why I believe him. I know we don't have a lot of money for recruiting, but those plane tickets and hotel rooms that we buy to recruit all those 3rd tier Florida recruits probably aren't cheap. I know Florida is a hotbed for great athletes, but who are we kidding. The upper echelon goes to Florida, Florida State, and Miami. The second tier goes to schools like Central Florida and now obviously, South Florida. The third tier would then probably go to schools like Florida Atlantic, Florida International, and other small schools. So who in the hell are we getting? Looks like 3rd and 4th tier talent that will bring no fan support what-so-ever. There has to be some kid from this area that a great recruiter could convince to come play Div 1-A football. At least the little coon-ass would have his parents and aunts and uncles and 15 little cousins to put butts in the seats.

It's the same thing on the donation side. One of my best friends father-in-law graduated from UL and played football for us. He also went to LSU Law school. Every year he donates money to LSU, BECAUSE THEY ASK HIM FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!! He told us that in the 30+ years since he has graduated, UL has never contacted him or his locally owned business for a donation. He also said that he would gladly donate if asked.

I know I've rambled on but the bottom line is, Bustle is not building a winning program. Nothing has changed in the 6 years that he's been here. The paying fans of this university deserve better, and if we are not committed to building a program from Martin Hall on down, then we might as well shut down the program and spend all of our money on basketball and baseball. I know football is the bread winner but right now it is hurting us more than it is helping us. _

Here we go again with the recruiting quality. Learn some facts about the recruiting classes especially lasts years, which will be ready to play next year (some are allready playing) and the year after that then come here and talk smack. I am so sick of it. I guarantee these coaches are commited to building a great program. I guarantee they look at and offer local kids but hey one kickers dad...he probably knows it all!! Perhaps he has received NO letters because he really isn't that great and computer generated letters mean NOTHING so all of the other "letters" he has received mean nothing as well unless they are handwritten and unless a coach calls the player as often as allowed by then NCAA, then daddy can talk.Oh and by the way my son is not "a little coon ass"...have some respect and if you can't why don't you get out there and practice and play...let's see what level you're at...certainly know the level of your mouth. GRRRRRRRRRRR

[TuffGuy84]

The one thing I'll say about the recruiting subject is this. I do believe that the last 2 recruiting classes have been our best, and its true, but still, I'm worried about retention of our recruits by the staff. We did have some talent in the classes that should be juniors and seniors right now, but why aren't they being able to live up to their potential. As I look back at the 03 and 04 recruiting classes, I see alot of players who made no impact on the program, and I'm curious as to what happened, whether they quit, got hurt, or just remained deep on the depth chart. With how "young" we are right now, its a legitimate concern for alot of fans, we need to retain and help these recruits achieve their potential. Now, me personally, I dont give a crap where the recruits come from, If they can play, (and make the grades) I want them here. I think a legitimate response and reasoning for WHY we are young would go a long way to understanding why Bustle is in the position he is.

Tuffguy

[DrumRoll]

I do believe that the last 2 recruiting classes have been our best, and its true, but still, I'm worried about retention of our recruits by the staff. We did have some talent in the classes that should be juniors and seniors right now, but why aren't they being able to live up to their potential. As I look back at the 03 and 04 recruiting classes, I see alot of players who made no impact on the program, and I'm curious as to what happened, whether they quit, got hurt, or just remained deep on the depth chart. With how "young" we are right now, its a legitimate concern for alot of fans, we need to retain and help these recruits achieve their potential. Now, me personally, I dont give a crap where the recruits come from, If they can play, (and make the grades) I want them here. I think a legitimate response and reasoning for WHY we are young would go a long way to understanding why Bustle is in the position he is.

Tuffguy _

Let me try...

If your last 2 classes have been the overall best out of the last 4 years, why would it surprise you to be in the situation you are in? If the Freshmen and Sophomores are better than or equal to the juniors and seniors, you should play them, as their playing time creates a better future...

So, technically, you really sort of want this problem, because if you improve your recruiting class for 4 years in a row, each improved class makes some of the previous class's recruits, obsolete so to speak. This is like the guy in the commercial where his woodworking business is growing, you need some of those card slider things and some more...um...wood!

[MakoMaker]

Turbine,

You can either coach or you can't. I said it once, I'll say it a mill times. Dennis Erickson can coach. Ed Orgeron can't. Steve Spurrier can coach, Tommy Bowden can't. Rickey Bustle is in the can't category...always will be. Good coaches win games with avg players and great players get 'em to championships. You can send R. Bustle to BR to coach and that team would fall like a Fri night prom queen....why? cause he can't coach. Les Miles didn't need a 40 yr Beamer model at Ok St to win, he just won. Look at the coach that took his place, hadn't won a stick of gum since...why? Miles can coach and Gundy can't.

I don't make the rules Turbine, I just interpret. It's been that way since Pop Warner, it'll be that way forever.

[DrumRoll]

_ Turbine,

You can either coach or you can't. I said it once, I'll say it a mill times. Dennis Erickson can coach. Ed Orgeron can't. Steve Spurrier can coach, Tommy Bowden can't. Rickey Bustle is in the can't category...always will be. Good coaches win games with avg players and great players get 'em to championships. You can send R. Bustle to BR to coach and that team would fall like a Fri night prom queen....why? cause he can't coach. Les Miles didn't need a 40 yr Beamer model at Ok St to win, he just won. Look at the coach that took his place, hadn't won a stick of gum since...why? Miles can coach and Gundy can't.

I don't make the rules Turbine, I just interpret. It's been that way since Pop Warner, it'll be that way forever. _

I have no idea how long it's been since Pop Warner, but let's take a look at your proclamation that "Miles can coach and Gundy can't."

Les Miles as OC at OSU
1995 4-8
1996 5-6
1997 8-4

Les Miles as HC at OSU
2001 4-7
2002 8-5
2003 9-4
2004 7-5

Mike Gundy in 1st 2 seasons at OSU
2005 4-7
2006 7-6

OSU is 5-3 in 2007 so far...

Is Les Miles a class act? Sure he is, but he is certainly not the Captain Invincible Super Star Coach that you have made him out to be...

And it's ludicrous to even try and compare Bustle's situation to OSU and LSU. OSU has more funding than any other DI program in the country, and LSU is in the top 5.

College Football is a lot like NASCAR racing...the BS stops when the green flag drops, and no amount of BS is going to make up for a team's lack of funding...

[MakoMaker]

Wasn't even comparing the two. Making the point that when good coaches get a hold of a program they start winning...now, not six years. My point will be proven when Bustle is fired in 2 mos 2 yrs, whatever it takes and we have nothing to show for it.

Don't take my post and construe anything, I'm not making Miles out to be anything...but I will say this, this you will not have to twist my words around. Take Bustle and put him in BR to coach that team and he loses b/c HE CAN"T COACH!!!! It doesn't have anything to do with money...if that's the case let's fold the football program right now b/c we will never have big time money.

[CajunNation]

_
College Football is a lot like NASCAR racing...the BS stops when the green flag drops, and no amount of BS is going to make up for a team's lack of funding... _

There are 119 FBS(1-A) schools in America.


TEAM A

-- has a 19 million budget
-- there are alomost 100 FBS(1-A) schools with a larger budget
-- since '02 they are 65-9
-- since '02 they have gone to 5 bowl games
-- since '02 they have beaten Oregon State(twice), Iowa State, Oklahoma
-- they played and won in the FIESTA BOWL(BCS)

They are Boise State


TEAM B

-- has a 12 million budget
-- they have the 6th smallest budget in the FBS(1-A)
-- since '03, their 1st 1-A year, they have only had 1 losing season
-- since '03, they have gone to 2 bowl games
-- since '03, they have beaten Missouri, Oklahoma State
-- since '03, they have a 22-9 record against SBC schools

They are Troy


TEAM C

-- since '04, they are 9 points away from having 2 winning seasons
-- since '04, they have a 16-12 record against SBC schools
-- since '02, they are 4-1 against UL
-- they have the lowest budget in the FBS(1-A) and the lowest paid coaches

they are ULM



Using lack of funding as an excuse for losing is old, tired, and done by LOSERS.

[Turbine]

Les Miles didn't need a 40 yr Beamer model at Ok St to win, he just won. Look at the coach that took his place, hadn't won a stick of gum since...why? Miles can coach and Gundy can't.

Fair enough but OSU had been to a bowl game just 4 years before Miles took over, and yes he did take the Redshirt Seniors from that bowl recruiting class to a bowl of his own.

. . . and of course we know what he inherited at LSU.

[Just1More]

These posts are comical bordering on silly. Coaching or Talent? Talent or Experience? Admin or Money? Money or Ability? Speed or Size? Talent or Heart? How many pieces of the puzzle can you pit against one another before you realize that they are all pieces of the same puzzle?

They are interconnected, non-mutually exclusive, components that make up the end-point. BUT... if you want to keep slapping your brother on the back of the head because that is the way you are wired... go for it.

Oh... Turbine is an extraordinarily classy guy... but, if Bustle were a pig, Turbine has a vat of lipstick in tow to dress him up. I'm not saying he is a pig. But, if he doesn't make this "youthful, yet inexperienced talent" start showing signs of "well coached, youthful, yet inexperienced talent"... he is going to be a diamond head at UL (unemployed contractor leaning on the outside of the hurricane fence, watching someone else coach his team).