How Recruiting and Results Work ( jmo )

[Just1More]

Shocker, an athlete's mom is going to take things personally, regardless... I wouldn't want it any other way. You making comments like "I paid for your son's education" is taking it too far in "expressing your opinion" on recruiting. Take the high road (without any qualifiers) on this one.

[CajunShocker]

_ Here is a shocker Mr. Shocker, you made it personal for every parent that has rooting interest in UL. Thanks for ripping our hearts out and cutting down our sons. And no I do not have a son at UL but I have the smarts enough to know that it hurts more to have a family member trashed than if it was me personally. _

"Ripping our hearts out", come on. That is a little much don't you think. Sorry but everyone who plays sports is not going to be the best. Thats just a fact that everyone has to deal with at some point. Some kids have to deal with it a little earlier. Saying that someone is 3rd or 4th tier is not putting them down. A lot of kids would consider it a blessing to be considered 3rd or 4th tier. Most kids have to give up their dreams once high school is over. I read on this board one time that parents of players should not read these boards. I'm starting to think that maybe they shouldn't.

I for one, plan on raising my children to have tougher skin. God knows they will need it when they become an adult. I have to deal with much worse criticism, every day in my job.

Now that we have beat this dead horse even deader. I sincerely apologize for all the feelings I have hurt and hearts I have ripped out. I do however stand by my opinions on the state of this football team. I'm finished.

[CajunShocker]

_ Shocker, an athlete's mom is going to take things personally, regardless... I wouldn't want it any other way. You making comments like "I paid for your son's education" is taking it too far in "expressing your opinion" on recruiting. Take the high road (without any qualifiers) on this one. _

You're correct, but I was already typing my response. I am done though, as I'm sure that will make some people very happy.

[RaginFan2]

I agree. We (Players and Fans and yes Coaches) will continue to give their all this year. Next year is undetermined but what a person thinks and feels he brings into form.
As for me-- I think and feel "GEAUX CAJUNS!!!!!!!!!!"

Glad to hear it! I hope your son is enjoying his freshman year (as much as this season will allow at least) so far. We're glad to have him as a Ragin' Cajun!

[RaginCajunPie]

Just a response to the whole Florida v. Louisiana recruting question. I don't know as much about football as many of you, and I haven't been involved in the recruiting process. But I have talked to many of UL's Florida athletes, and I think we are getting a higher quality of recruit from Florida than many may think.

These kids aren't being recruited by some stranger coach to go to some strange college a few states away. They are being recruited by one of our best recruiting coaches, Brian Jenkins. Coach Jenkins is from Miami, and still has very close ties to Florida athletics. He ALWAYS had his hands in what is going on in FL and always has an ear to the ground on the high school players there. He even participates in a free local camp every summer for Florida kids. He has a passion for Florida athletes because he was one, and claims that athletics helped keep him off the tough Miami streets. So, these kids "know" Coach Jenkins, and he can convince some of the better recruits to come to play for him because they trust that he is really going to look out for them and make sure they become better people and players.

And now we have Hurley Brown, too...another coach from Florida. So, I think our coaches ARE recruiting from their back yards...it just so happens that their back yards are in Florida.

Now, I dont know about if we are adequtely recruiting Louisiana or not...but I do think we do a good job of getting quality Florida players, not just the ones who have nowhere else in Florida to go.

[CajunShocker]

Just a response to the whole Florida v. Louisiana recruting question. I don't know as much about football as many of you, and I haven't been involved in the recruiting process. But I have talked to many of UL's Florida athletes, and I think we are getting a higher quality of recruit from Florida than many may think.

These kids aren't being recruited by some stranger coach to go to some strange college a few states away. They are being recruited by one of our best recruiting coaches, Brian Jenkins. Coach Jenkins is from Miami, and still has very close ties to Florida athletics. He ALWAYS had his hands in what is going on in FL and always has an ear to the ground on the high school players there. He even participates in a free local camp every summer for Florida kids. He has a passion for Florida athletes because he was one, and claims that athletics helped keep him off the tough Miami streets. So, these kids "know" Coach Jenkins, and he can convince some of the better recruits to come to play for him because they trust that he is really going to look out for them and make sure they become better people and players.

And now we have Hurley Brown, too...another coach from Florida. So, I think our coaches ARE recruiting from their back yards...it just so happens that their back yards are in Florida.

Now, I dont know about if we are adequtely recruiting Louisiana or not...but I do think we do a good job of getting quality Florida players, not just the ones who have nowhere else in Florida to go.

Thank you so much, RCP.

That is actually the exact type of response I was looking for. And it does make a lot of sense now. My main concern though is the cost.

[Clutch0364]

_ Thank you so much, RCP.

That is actually the exact type of response I was looking for. And it does make a lot of sense now. My main concern though is the cost. _

In my eyes the recruiting isn't the problem at all...its coaching ability!!! I have never once said anything about the talent of our players because I believe they are on par or better than most of the teams we have played this year, not counting South Carolina or Tennessee. My problems is with coaching...and I think the results will be the same under this coach, maybe we win 6 games next year but to me that isn't enough. I'm not going to lower my expectations of where this program should go because people are telling me 6 wins is a good season...We had a 6 win season last year with a team that should have had 1 or even 2 more wins, why is that and why are we excepting that. It all falls on the coach's shoulders.

[Cowboy Up]

I don't think losing Hundley was as big a deal as you make it out to be. He and Connor Morel were neck and neck as far as being the top backup. Most Cajun fans feel Morel was better suited to this offense anyway. Morel is a senior. However we are redshirting two QB' from Florida who were very impressive in summer drills.

Well CMike, my point was really to say that a pro-style passer gives UL another dynamic dimension to its offense. Currently, everything that UL does comes out of the QB zone read. That offense, in and of itself, is not bad because a lot of teams use it, particularly Florida. But, if the QBs currently being red-shirtted bring that other dimension that Hundley could have potentially brought then things will be certainly brighter for UL's football fortunes.

[Cajunsmike]

Well CMike, my point was really to say that a pro-style passer gives UL another dynamic dimension to its offense. Currently, everything that UL does comes out of the QB zone read. That offense, in and of itself, is not bad because a lot of teams use it, particularly Florida. But, if the QBs currently being red-shirtted bring that other dimension that Hundley could have potentially brought then things will be certainly brighter for UL's football fortunes.

The redshirt QB's are good passers with more mobility than Hundley had.

[DrumRoll]

Let's take a look at McGuire, who is from is from Gulf Breeze, FL. You guys do realize that Gulf Breeze is roughly as close to Baton Rouge as Shreveport? From what I hear, from people that watched him in HS, he will be a great player.

I do not know much about UL's history, and am new as a fan, but it's my opinion that the coaching staff takes the lead amongst recruiting players, as opposed to being a "me too" recruiting staff that offers only after others have done so. There are a lot of players that do not have a UL offer, that other in-state schools have offered, kids that visit and want one. This is how you build a program, Louisville did it this way, by signing as many athletic TE types as they could, and converting them into what they needed, and Rutgers success is along the same lines, but with many of their recruits coming from...you guessed it, FL. One thing that I am fairly confident of, is that unless something drastic has happened, LA is still closer to FL than NJ is.

Look at UConn as another example, they are certainly doing something right, and are after players in FL and LA, some of UL's recruits in fact. That ought to tell you something about their potential, because UConn has turned the bus around by recruiting the best sleepers in the country.

[CajunProud]

_ Let's take a look at McGuire, who is from is from Gulf Breeze, FL. You guys do realize that Gulf Breeze is roughly as close to Baton Rouge as Shreveport? From what I hear, from people that watched him in HS, he will be a great player.

I do not know much about UL's history, and am new as a fan, but it's my opinion that the coaching staff takes the lead amongst recruiting players, as opposed to being a "me too" recruiting staff that offers only after others have done so. There are a lot of players that do not have a UL offer, that other in-state schools have offered, kids that visit and want one. This is how you build a program, Louisville did it this way, by signing as many athletic TE types as they could, and converting them into what they needed, and Rutgers success is along the same lines, but with many of their recruits coming from...you guessed it, FL. One thing that I am fairly confident of, is that unless something drastic has happened, LA is still closer to FL than NJ is.

Look at UConn as another example, they are certainly doing something right, and are after players in FL and LA, some of UL's recruits in fact. That ought to tell you something about their potential, because UConn has turned the bus around by recruiting the best sleepers in the country. _

You're right, but the difference is in the coaching. UCONN has done more in a shorter period of time in a much tougher conference than Bustle has. I don't know the exact reason, but you can't argue with the stats. For whatever the reason, we don't use our full back out of the back field and we don't use our tight ends nearly as much as we should. I don't know if this is the new OC's fault or Bustle's but it is a problem.

[DrumRoll]

_ You're right, but the difference is in the coaching. UCONN has done more in a shorter period of time in a much tougher conference than Bustle has. I don't know the exact reason, but you can't argue with the stats. For whatever the reason, we don't use our full back out of the back field and we don't use our tight ends nearly as much as we should. I don't know if this is the new OC's fault or Bustle's but it is a problem. _

Hey guys, what is that really big thing with all of those seats and skyboxes at UConn?

A Stadium, that's right. Don't be afraid. Just shout 'em right out when you know 'em.

Now, what is the really nice building with all of this state of the art training equipment in it?

A football training center?

And this really big thing with the field turf inside it?

An indoor facility?

An indoor facility, right. So, Mr. Cajun fan, you would positively agree that UConn has a New Stadium, a state of the art world class training facility, and a new indoor practice facility, but you don't think that that it has helped in any way with building a program, it's all about coaching.

The difference is in the investment. UConn has done more building and investing in the future of their program in a shorter period of time. Their state of the art stadium was completed 4 years ago along with the $40 million training facility and indoor facility that has been in place for almost 2 years now...so I guess the clock starts when UL has invested the same, four years from then...I feel like Vinny Gambini, feel free to practice up below...

Hey, Mr. Crane, what are these pictures of?

My house and stuff.

Your house and stuff. And what is this brown stuff on the windows?

Dirt.

Dirt? What is this rusty, dusty, dirty-looking thing over your window?

It's a screen.

A screen? It's a screen. And what are these big things right in the middle of your view, from the middle of your window to the Sack O' Suds? What do we call these big things?

Trees?

Trees, that's right. Don't be afraid. Just shout 'em right out when you know 'em.

Now, what are these thousands of little things that are on trees?

Leaves?

And these bushy things between the trees?

Bushes?

Bushes, right. So, Mr. Crane, you could positively identify the defendants for a moment of two seconds looking through this dirty window, this crud-covered screen, these trees with all these leaves on them, and I don't know how many bushes.

Looks like five.

Ah ah, don't forget this one and this one.

Seven bushes.

So, what do you think? Do you think it's possible you just saw two guys in a green convertible, and not necessarily these two particular guys?

I suppose.

Gambini: I'm finished with this guy.