Wow...
A few years ago, someone suggested that coaches would renege on verbal commitments. I thought it was hogwash, because I didn't think a coach would risk sullying her reputation.
But, apparently, in the college football area, it is a common practice...get more verbal commtiments than you have scholarships, and then drop athletes right before signing day. The story says that Charlie Nutt once got 37 commitments when he had only 25 scholarships.
Has the practice started in college softball as well?
Here is the story from the Dallas Morning News:
Commitment should be a two-way street, but recruits often at mercy of college coaches
Dallas Morning News, October 13, 2015
Forced to cram five months of shopping into a single week, Matt Colburn gave thanks Wednesday that Wake Forest was still buying.
Called his recruiting horror story a “blessing in disguise.”
Yeah, he doesn’t have to play for Bobby Petrino after all.
In case you weren’t paying attention: Colburn, South Carolina’s Mr. Football, committed last June to Louisville. Politely said no to all suitors. Piled up a great senior year with 1,705 yards and 27 touchdowns and zero issues. Against Allen in Dutch Fork’s 58-53 loss in Murphy last fall, he ran for 250 yards, including touchdowns of 80, 55 and 25 yards. Caught a 75-yard pass for another. In other words, he held up his end.
And then two days before signing day, a Louisville assistant told Colburn they didn’t have a scholarship for him after all.
Now as much as you might want to say this is what Matt gets for dealing with the devil, you should know it’s not just Petrino.
Coaches employ all kinds of parlor tricks in the guise of “managing the roster,” the terminology Petrino used in defending himself. As if human beings weren’t involved. The cold-bloodedness of it is one argument for a three-day early signing period in December, protecting recruits from a late surprise.
Not all tricks are as egregious as pulling an offer 48 hours before signing day, though. Most you probably don’t even notice.
Names simply disappear from rosters, victims of “oversigning.” It’s so common, there used to be a website tracking it.
You were under the impression a football coach couldn’t sign more than 25 recruits in one class? First of all, they can sign 28. Actually, they can do better than that. While at Ole Miss, Houston Nutt once herded up 37. The nerve of it even embarrassed the SEC, which isn’t easy to do. The league subsequently passed its own rule against such excess. As any coach will tell you, though, rules are for somebody else.
Here’s one way to beat them: Sign as many athletes as possible, even those you’re not sure can qualify. If they don’t make it, no sweat. If they do, even better. All you have to do is make room.
One way to clear space is to take a good look over your incoming class. Maybe someone would “grayshirt.” If he will, it means he can’t enroll that fall as a full-time student. Can’t work out with the team. Can’t even hang around. Doesn’t count against the program’s 25-85 until he reports for the spring semester.
Nick Saban is a big fan of the grayshirt. For a shot at playing for Alabama, some kids remain eager. Saban says there’s nothing wrong with the practice as long as a coach is up front about it.
Let me ask: Who’s more up front than Nick Saban?
Of course, not everyone’s a fan. Four years ago, Bernie Machen, Florida’s president, wrote a piece for Sports Illustrated arguing that young people shouldn’t pay for sloppy preparation or bookkeeping. If you run out of scholarships, that’s your fault.
“Technically, it’s legal to do this,” Machen wrote. “Morally, it is reprehensible.”
Which brings us back to our old pal, Bobby Petrino. If you thought he’d finally learned his lesson after negotiating for a college job that wasn’t vacant; or leaving an NFL job at midseason with a note as explanation; or wrecking a motorcycle with his girlfriend on back and on the payroll and the wife back home, then lying about it, well, you have too much faith in humanity.
Daniel Gresham got Petrino-ed last year. The Fort Worth All Saints running back had committed to Louisville when Charlie Strong was still the Cardinals’ coach. Gresham was game to go, but a month before signing day, Petrino told him no deal. At least he gave him a month’s head start. Better than what happened in June Jones’ first recruiting class at SMU, when the father of a recruit called the athletic department two weeks before signing day, just to see if everything was still good, only to find that his son was no longer welcome.
This was the explanation Ralston Dews’ father received from an SMU official: “This is now the landscape of college football.”
Funny thing is, Gresham ended up at SMU after Louisville pulled its offer.
Anyway, Petrino doesn’t just stick it to recruits. No one’s safe. If he needed a scholarship at Arkansas, he’d take an older player’s, as he did in the case of Rockwall-Heath’s Austin Moss.
Only Petrino tried to make it sound like a humanitarian gesture, saying they were “granted their release.”
In 2011, when Petrino’s method of managing a roster was under scrutiny, he also had this to say about oversigning:
“I don’t see it as a bad thing unless you’re being dishonest or waiting until the last minute, which eliminates their visit opportunities with other schools.”
Guess he figured 48 hours was all Matt Colburn needed.
Colburn’s coach at Dutch Fork, Tom Knotts, responded in typical fashion. Louisville coaches are no longer welcome on his campus. Knotts says Colburn was a bigger man about it than he was. Says Wake Forest is getting “not only a great football player, but a fine young man.”
Just the same, Colburn conceded to a sportswriter from The State that he’s looking forward to the Deacons’ game Oct. 30 against Louisville. Says he hopes to run “for like a thousand yards.”
Frankly, I’d settle for 250, but that’s me. Always taking the high road.
A few years ago, someone suggested that coaches would renege on verbal commitments. I thought it was hogwash, because I didn't think a coach would risk sullying her reputation.
But, apparently, in the college football area, it is a common practice...get more verbal commtiments than you have scholarships, and then drop athletes right before signing day. The story says that Charlie Nutt once got 37 commitments when he had only 25 scholarships.
Has the practice started in college softball as well?
Here is the story from the Dallas Morning News:
Commitment should be a two-way street, but recruits often at mercy of college coaches
Dallas Morning News, October 13, 2015
Forced to cram five months of shopping into a single week, Matt Colburn gave thanks Wednesday that Wake Forest was still buying.
Called his recruiting horror story a “blessing in disguise.”
Yeah, he doesn’t have to play for Bobby Petrino after all.
In case you weren’t paying attention: Colburn, South Carolina’s Mr. Football, committed last June to Louisville. Politely said no to all suitors. Piled up a great senior year with 1,705 yards and 27 touchdowns and zero issues. Against Allen in Dutch Fork’s 58-53 loss in Murphy last fall, he ran for 250 yards, including touchdowns of 80, 55 and 25 yards. Caught a 75-yard pass for another. In other words, he held up his end.
And then two days before signing day, a Louisville assistant told Colburn they didn’t have a scholarship for him after all.
Now as much as you might want to say this is what Matt gets for dealing with the devil, you should know it’s not just Petrino.
Coaches employ all kinds of parlor tricks in the guise of “managing the roster,” the terminology Petrino used in defending himself. As if human beings weren’t involved. The cold-bloodedness of it is one argument for a three-day early signing period in December, protecting recruits from a late surprise.
Not all tricks are as egregious as pulling an offer 48 hours before signing day, though. Most you probably don’t even notice.
Names simply disappear from rosters, victims of “oversigning.” It’s so common, there used to be a website tracking it.
You were under the impression a football coach couldn’t sign more than 25 recruits in one class? First of all, they can sign 28. Actually, they can do better than that. While at Ole Miss, Houston Nutt once herded up 37. The nerve of it even embarrassed the SEC, which isn’t easy to do. The league subsequently passed its own rule against such excess. As any coach will tell you, though, rules are for somebody else.
Here’s one way to beat them: Sign as many athletes as possible, even those you’re not sure can qualify. If they don’t make it, no sweat. If they do, even better. All you have to do is make room.
One way to clear space is to take a good look over your incoming class. Maybe someone would “grayshirt.” If he will, it means he can’t enroll that fall as a full-time student. Can’t work out with the team. Can’t even hang around. Doesn’t count against the program’s 25-85 until he reports for the spring semester.
Nick Saban is a big fan of the grayshirt. For a shot at playing for Alabama, some kids remain eager. Saban says there’s nothing wrong with the practice as long as a coach is up front about it.
Let me ask: Who’s more up front than Nick Saban?
Of course, not everyone’s a fan. Four years ago, Bernie Machen, Florida’s president, wrote a piece for Sports Illustrated arguing that young people shouldn’t pay for sloppy preparation or bookkeeping. If you run out of scholarships, that’s your fault.
“Technically, it’s legal to do this,” Machen wrote. “Morally, it is reprehensible.”
Which brings us back to our old pal, Bobby Petrino. If you thought he’d finally learned his lesson after negotiating for a college job that wasn’t vacant; or leaving an NFL job at midseason with a note as explanation; or wrecking a motorcycle with his girlfriend on back and on the payroll and the wife back home, then lying about it, well, you have too much faith in humanity.
Daniel Gresham got Petrino-ed last year. The Fort Worth All Saints running back had committed to Louisville when Charlie Strong was still the Cardinals’ coach. Gresham was game to go, but a month before signing day, Petrino told him no deal. At least he gave him a month’s head start. Better than what happened in June Jones’ first recruiting class at SMU, when the father of a recruit called the athletic department two weeks before signing day, just to see if everything was still good, only to find that his son was no longer welcome.
This was the explanation Ralston Dews’ father received from an SMU official: “This is now the landscape of college football.”
Funny thing is, Gresham ended up at SMU after Louisville pulled its offer.
Anyway, Petrino doesn’t just stick it to recruits. No one’s safe. If he needed a scholarship at Arkansas, he’d take an older player’s, as he did in the case of Rockwall-Heath’s Austin Moss.
Only Petrino tried to make it sound like a humanitarian gesture, saying they were “granted their release.”
In 2011, when Petrino’s method of managing a roster was under scrutiny, he also had this to say about oversigning:
“I don’t see it as a bad thing unless you’re being dishonest or waiting until the last minute, which eliminates their visit opportunities with other schools.”
Guess he figured 48 hours was all Matt Colburn needed.
Colburn’s coach at Dutch Fork, Tom Knotts, responded in typical fashion. Louisville coaches are no longer welcome on his campus. Knotts says Colburn was a bigger man about it than he was. Says Wake Forest is getting “not only a great football player, but a fine young man.”
Just the same, Colburn conceded to a sportswriter from The State that he’s looking forward to the Deacons’ game Oct. 30 against Louisville. Says he hopes to run “for like a thousand yards.”
Frankly, I’d settle for 250, but that’s me. Always taking the high road.
