how does pitt do it

[SANJAY]

Here are the things our staff faces in recruiting:

1. 3 in-state BCS programs

2. Our campus is getting better but is not the "traditional" campus and is nothing like the numerous "southern" campuses we recruit against.

3. Our facilities, although better than before, are a work in progress

4. Practice fields/dining hall/etc. this is part of the facilities, but are glaring examples of what is either non-existent orinadequate

5. Lack of history.  Kids want to play for teams they grew up loving, we're not there yet.

6. Every school east of the mississippi recruits in Florida, so even the ones not going to the big 3 often have storied programs recruiting them.

7. No reputation as an outstanding academic school.  We are a large state school without the prestige of being the state's flagship institution.  We are pushing forward on this, and if we ever get into the AAU it will help.

8. Small donor base, this is expanding but we don't have the dollars flowing in that a BCS program our size should.  This explains the very slow development of the facilities as the administration, rightfully, is not going to put athletics into a financial bnid by building too fast too quickly.

I am sure there are others, and I haven't listed them in the order of importance to recruits, but we're slowly getting there.  These are the institutional limitations the staff operates under.  Money will change some of it, and time will change other parts.  Pitt is a very good academic institution that competes with 1 other BCS school in an area that produces a lot of talent.  Pitt is part of the AAU and has much better facilities.  As much as I like to joke that Pitt won't win no matter who they recruit, the fact is that kids see what Pitt tangibly has and think Pitt has a chance.  Meanwhile, we are still selling the dream.

[Brad]

Pitt - Tony Dorsett, Dan Marino and Hugh Smith (among others) likely come to mind for most football fans.  For USF...let's see that guy Bill Gramatica that ruined his career celebrating and that guy in the superbowl this year.

[WWMJD]

Year after year they bring in these "great" classes yet they are still awful... to me it shows that these ratings mean very little

[Jihme]

it's a mix of the worst coaching possible with some players that are overrated.

[Orlando Bull]

Lets learn from this, I think Smazza has a point.  What are they doing, that we are not?  What do we need to have at USF to put us in the top ranks of recruiting.  My recommendation is that the USF Marketing students both MBA and undergrad do a market research by interviewing players who did not choose USF and find out why.  This report could be produced for the Athletic department. 

Are we missing, support services, are we in the wrong conference?  What small things can we do to fix the problem.  Since the superbowl is coming to Tampa maybe the NFL will pony up a half artificial turn practice field or some other type facility.

I am pulling a smazza and quoting two different guys.

I think the obvious answer to what they are doing that we aren't is spending way too much time recruiting, and not enough coaching. There has to be a balance.

[Orlando Bull]

Here are the things our staff faces in recruiting:

1. 3 in-state BCS programs

2. Our campus is getting better but is not the "traditional" campus and is nothing like the numerous "southern" campuses we recruit against.

3. Our facilities, although better than before, are a work in progress

4. Practice fields/dining hall/etc. this is part of the facilities, but are glaring examples of what is either non-existent orinadequate

5. Lack of history.  Kids want to play for teams they grew up loving, we're not there yet.

6. Every school east of the mississippi recruits in Florida, so even the ones not going to the big 3 often have storied programs recruiting them.

7. No reputation as an outstanding academic school.  We are a large state school without the prestige of being the state's flagship institution.  We are pushing forward on this, and if we ever get into the AAU it will help.

8. Small donor base, this is expanding but we don't have the dollars flowing in that a BCS program our size should.  This explains the very slow development of the facilities as the administration, rightfully, is not going to put athletics into a financial bnid by building too fast too quickly.

I am sure there are others, and I haven't listed them in the order of importance to recruits, but we're slowly getting there.  These are the institutional limitations the staff operates under.  Money will change some of it, and time will change other parts.  Pitt is a very good academic institution that competes with 1 other BCS school in an area that produces a lot of talent.  Pitt is part of the AAU and has much better facilities.  As much as I like to joke that Pitt won't win no matter who they recruit, the fact is that kids see what Pitt tangibly has and think Pitt has a chance.  Meanwhile, we are still selling the dream.

in true smazza fasion i will not use caps or puctuation on this one and evn mispel a werd or too.

:clap

[BULLSHTR]

Pitt - Tony Dorsett, Dan Marino and Hugh Smith (among others) likely come to mind for most football fans.  For USF...let's see that guy Bill Gramatica that ruined his career celebrating and that guy in the superbowl this year.

In one more year, add Mike Jenkins, and the year after that add another, and so on. One year at a time. We are on the right path.

[smazza]

Pitt - Tony Dorsett, Dan Marino and Hugh Smith (among others) likely come to mind for most football fans.  For USF...let's see that guy Bill Gramatica that ruined his career celebrating and that guy in the superbowl this year.

In one more year, add Mike Jenkins, and the year after that add another, and so on. One year at a time. We are on the right path.

I DONT  think those guys 25 years removed from pitt effect their recruiting in 2008

[Velcro]

Pitt - Tony Dorsett, Dan Marino and Hugh Smith (among others) likely come to mind for most football fans.  For USF...let's see that guy Bill Gramatica that ruined his career celebrating and that guy in the superbowl this year.

In one more year, add Mike Jenkins, and the year after that add another, and so on. One year at a time. We are on the right path.

I DONT  think those guys 25 years removed from pitt effect their recruiting in 2008

You would be wrong...

and the reason is that they are part of the lore... the tradition factor...

"We have heisman winners", "We have some of the best players of all time"...

18 year olds can get "awed" very easily and the big name programs like OU, UF, USC all have a ton more ammo than we have.

We sell and idea and are slowly getting a little proof (like #2 in the nation) .... they sell proof that their ideas worked, work, and will work (national championships, bcs games, etc).

Smazz... you discount way too much how much this concept means... and that is why you are so hard on Leavitt.  He is agains the odds and still getting us to #2 in the country.  Just wait until we have enough tradition to win more of the bigger recruiting battles.  Wait until we see what Ford does for USF...  then that is one more item to use in our favor... Leavitt will hopefully be able to say "5 star Mike Ford chose not to come here, but then changed his mind and boy... he sure made the right move, and you should too, because we are the new U... we'll make you are star that you know you are"

Right now... its mostly selling a dream, and even a few years ago... it was ALL a dream.

[Brad]

Pitt - Tony Dorsett, Dan Marino and Hugh Smith (among others) likely come to mind for most football fans.  For USF...let's see that guy Bill Gramatica that ruined his career celebrating and that guy in the superbowl this year.

In one more year, add Mike Jenkins, and the year after that add another, and so on. One year at a time. We are on the right path.

I DONT  think those guys 25 years removed from pitt effect their recruiting in 2008

Then you don't truly understand.  Have you read any articles or seen how these schools present themselves to the easily impressed high school recruit?  Probably not.