Recruiting story from Bustle era

[Membertou]

I have a nephew being recruited out of high school on the Northshore of Lake Ponchartrain. He has offers from Tulane, Ark St., and LaTech. Southern Miss and Tulsa are also sniffing around. This past summer he came to UL for camp. He was very interested in the Cajuns at the time. His dad drove him in for the camp. At the very beginning of the camp, staff called O-linemen together and told them they were only interested in tackles. The centers and guards were shuffled off to the side with a grad ass't or other low-ranking coach while the tackles went with the O-line coach. My nephew wasn't nearly as upset as his dad, who feels their time was deliberately wasted. My nephew's o-line coach and head coach were furious when they heard about it. Now, you make think this isn't a big deal, but I can guarantee you every coach in that district has heard about this. Whoever the new coach is, it is imperative that he establish good relationships with Louisiana high school coaches.

[LaGrid]

Only interested in tackles is only interested in killing your quarterback.

[CajunNation]

I have a nephew being recruited out of high school on the Northshore of Lake Ponchartrain. He has offers from Tulane, Ark St., and LaTech. Southern Miss and Tulsa are also sniffing around. This past summer he came to UL for camp. He was very interested in the Cajuns at the time. His dad drove him in for the camp. At the very beginning of the camp, staff called O-linemen together and told them they were only interested in tackles. The centers and guards were shuffled off to the side with a grad ass't or other low-ranking coach while the tackles went with the O-line coach. My nephew wasn't nearly as upset as his dad, who feels their time was deliberately wasted. My nephew's o-line coach and head coach were furious when they heard about it. Now, you make think this isn't a big deal, but I can guarantee you every coach in that district has heard about this. Whoever the new coach is, it is imperative that he establish good relationships with Louisiana high school coaches.

Our recruiting has been in the toilet since Cook left the program.

[cajun4life]

_ Our recruiting has been in the toilet since Cook left the program. _

Seriously? 5 of the most electrifying players to even suit up for the Cajuns were under Bustle. Desormeaux, Fenroy, Chery, Babb and Green.

Who did Cook get here? Remember Cook also recruited to a school with OPEN ADMISSIONS!

[ULGrad@HOU]

Some of our current players are no doubt, excellent football players and good people. But it takes more than "some". This is where Coach Bustle and his staff failed to raise the program higher and the main cause of not being able to win consistently.

[cajun4life]

_ I have a nephew being recruited out of high school on the Northshore of Lake Ponchartrain. He has offers from Tulane, Ark St., and LaTech. Southern Miss and Tulsa are also sniffing around. This past summer he came to UL for camp. He was very interested in the Cajuns at the time. His dad drove him in for the camp. At the very beginning of the camp, staff called O-linemen together and told them they were only interested in tackles. The centers and guards were shuffled off to the side with a grad ass't or other low-ranking coach while the tackles went with the O-line coach. My nephew wasn't nearly as upset as his dad, who feels their time was deliberately wasted. My nephew's o-line coach and head coach were furious when they heard about it. Now, you make think this isn't a big deal, but I can guarantee you every coach in that district has heard about this. Whoever the new coach is, it is imperative that he establish good relationships with Louisiana high school coaches. _

I would say that falls on Hudson and Wingerter more than Bustle. Each position coach compiles a list of prospects that they want to sign and Bustle makes the final decision. If your nephew didn't fit Hudson's criteria the Bustle may have never heard of him.

[Turbine]

_ I would say that falls on Hudson and Wingerter more than Bustle. Each position coach compiles a list of prospects that they want to sign and Bustle makes the final decision. If your nephew didn't fit Hudson's criteria the Bustle may have never heard of him. _

Hudson and Wingerter, I wouldn't want to write their dictionary.

You know it may be that an OC and Recruiting Coordinator go out of their way not to look like they are stacking their position in the recruiting process.

Coach Robichaux will stack the pitching position and I think this is a good move, but as assistants they may have gone out of their way not to seem like they were trying to help themselves out.

Personally I don't think you can ever have enough lineman, aka "Time Machines."

[California Cajun]

_ I have a nephew being recruited out of high school on the Northshore of Lake Ponchartrain. He has offers from Tulane, Ark St., and LaTech. Southern Miss and Tulsa are also sniffing around. This past summer he came to UL for camp. He was very interested in the Cajuns at the time. His dad drove him in for the camp. At the very beginning of the camp, staff called O-linemen together and told them they were only interested in tackles. The centers and guards were shuffled off to the side with a grad ass't or other low-ranking coach while the tackles went with the O-line coach. My nephew wasn't nearly as upset as his dad, who feels their time was deliberately wasted. My nephew's o-line coach and head coach were furious when they heard about it. Now, you make think this isn't a big deal, but I can guarantee you every coach in that district has heard about this. Whoever the new coach is, it is imperative that he establish good relationships with Louisiana high school coaches. _

The more I read comments about supposed coaching indifference, the more I think that people don't understand the coaching business.

The BCS coaches can approach camps however they wish and aren't held in judgment for the way they conduct them.

When a player wants to come to a mid-major the mid-major coach is supposed to go about his business differently.

A lot of these mid-major coaches were at BCS programs.

Every school makes mistakes on players. I'm sure that UL has been interested in players La Tech, ASU, and Tulane weren't.

I would be upset if I were your nephew because the advertisement for the camp didn't say we're looking only at tackles. Maybe they were afraid of how that announcement would sound or they would limit their options if they didn't examine all the players to see if one of their guards or centers were so imposing to cause them to make an exception.

In short, I think what happened to your nephew happens everywhere. UL gets a black eye in this instance because it happened to him.

If UL becomes a more successful football program, this post probably isn't made because everyone understands the cutthroat nature of the business.

I really feel for your nephew. Honestly. I'm a sensitive person and this would bother me.

[Membertou]

My nephew is essentially irrelevant to the story. What is important is that every coach on the Northshore heard from his coach that UL has a Mickey Mouse program.

[cjdecuir]

_ Seriously? 5 of the most electrifying players to even suit up for the Cajuns were under Bustle. Desormeaux, Fenroy, Chery, Babb and Green.

Who did Cook get here? Remember Cook also recruited to a school with OPEN ADMISSIONS! _

Are you serious about these being 5 of the most electrifying players to ever suit up for the Cajuns? How many of these kids have went on to the next level. I think Green has a chance, but as for all but Fenroy, they were just above average for the SunBelt.

How about Delhomme, Stokely, Mitchell, Thomas.

Now the best players that Bustle did coach were not recruited by him. Taylor and Tilman.

I will get bombarded by this post, but in my opinion, Bustle and his staff did not bring the good recruits to their maximum potential.

[CajunT]

_ I have a nephew being recruited out of high school on the Northshore of Lake Ponchartrain. He has offers from Tulane, Ark St., and LaTech. Southern Miss and Tulsa are also sniffing around. This past summer he came to UL for camp. He was very interested in the Cajuns at the time. His dad drove him in for the camp. At the very beginning of the camp, staff called O-linemen together and told them they were only interested in tackles. The centers and guards were shuffled off to the side with a grad ass't or other low-ranking coach while the tackles went with the O-line coach. My nephew wasn't nearly as upset as his dad, who feels their time was deliberately wasted. My nephew's o-line coach and head coach were furious when they heard about it. Now, you make think this isn't a big deal, but I can guarantee you every coach in that district has heard about this. Whoever the new coach is, it is imperative that he establish good relationships with Louisiana high school coaches. _

The coaching staff was being honest, why waste time and BS kids about how much you want them? I've seen both sides of this and sometimes coaches shoot themselves in the foot coming out and telling kids that they a few inches too short or not fast enough to play a certain position. On the other hand, parents love to hear BS from coaches at LSU, Auburn and Texas A&M because they want to believe that little Jimmy is a BCS prospect.

When the Cajuns held their camp, we already had a commitment from one interior lineman from Acadiana High Nick Smith. The Cajuns are loaded with interior linemen:

Andre Huval
Evan Ruiz
Kyle Plouhar
Marvin Matin
Leonardo Bates
Jaron Odom
Daniel Lemelle

While I understand driving in fron Northshore is a inconvenience, no football staff ever tells athletes don't bother to come in to our prospect camp. Not LSU, McNeese St , Tulane or any other staff. I've been attending football camps for a long time and have yet to see it.

[Geaux]

_ Are you serious about these being 5 of the most electrifying players to ever suit up for the Cajuns? How many of these kids have went on to the next level. I think Green has a chance, but as for all but Fenroy, they were just above average for the SunBelt.

How about Delhomme, Stokely, Mitchell, Thomas.

Now the best players that Bustle did coach were not recruited by him. Taylor and Tilman.

I will get bombarded by this post, but in my opinion, Bustle and his staff did not bring the good recruits to their maximum potential. _

Your right, we had a lot of walk-on players have great careers. Good for the program, but it says something about you evaluation of talent and recruiting. For example Bill Sampy, A. Zanders, Derek Keys to name a few. Derrick Smith and poor Mike Desormeaux's talents were not maxed. I hope the next staff can do better.