Post by bigsmooth on Dec 7, 2005 9:49:56 GMT -5
chris keeps pumping out more good articles. when will the assistants be named??
Liberty's Rocco hits the recruiting trail
By Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
Tuesday, December 6, 2005
Danny Rocco freely admits he doesn't know all of Liberty University's football players yet. He's had more important things to do in the four days since being hired as LU's seventh football coach than memorize the 2005 Flames media guide.
There's recruiting, for one. Rocco said Tuesday that only one scholarship had been offered through Monday, and only one athlete had made an official visit to campus. A day later, 16 more recruits received scholarship offers. That's issue No. 1 for the new head coach between now and Dec. 19, when an NCAA-mandated recruiting moratorium begins.
"We've got other guys we feel good about, but we're not ready to offer them yet," Rocco said. "But we're going to go after them aggressively. Over the next two weekends, we're hoping to have 15-18 guys go through here. That'll give us a chance."
The next item on Rocco's docket is filling a coaching staff, a process that will start with the defensive staff. Rocco met with all of Liberty's remaining assistants Monday and said "there will definitely be guys retained," though he wouldn't elaborate on who at this point.
Step three: Connecting with the community. He started that process Tuesday by speaking at a luncheon for the Flames Club, LU's booster organization.
The last four days have been a whirlwind for Rocco. But in that short amount of time, he's already built a foundation for his program and has capitalized on the enthusiam his hire has sparked in the community.
"I've yet to say no to anyone," Rocco said. "I've got to be the flag carrier right now for this football program. (Being visible) is going to help the program a lot more than me sitting here watching film trying to figure out what went wrong in overtime against Coastal Carolina."
The most pressing piece of business for Rocco, who was Virginia's recruiting coordinator during his first two years on Al Groh's staff in Charlottesville, is revamping LU's recruiting.
When he first met with Liberty's coaches, he found a familiar system in place.
Pete Sundheim, a Liberty assistant who headed recruiting under former coach Ken Karcher, visited Virginia several years ago to get an idea of how the Cavaliers organized their recruiting. When Rocco met with LU's staff about which recruits were on board, the board itself looked very familiar.
"When I went up and down that board, without hesitation, I was making decisions," Rocco said. "I used that recruiting form at Virginia and I used it at Texas."
Once the mad dash to signing day ends in February, Rocco will focus on serious player evaluation. That doesn't mean he isn't trying to connect with his players the same way he is with boosters, community members and recruits.
One thing returning players have insisted is important is being able to have an open relationship with the head coach, something Rocco said he is ready to provide.
"I've got to be positive and uplifting, and challenge the student-athletes to excel," Rocco said.
As far as getting to know those returning players' names, Rocco has a plan for that, too. Considering the meticulous coaches he's worked under in the past - detail-oriented men like Tom Coughlin at Boston College and Al Groh at Virginia - that shouldn't come as a surprise.
During a weight training session Tuesday, Rocco had the players retrieve their practice jerseys so he could identify them by number. Video coordinator Danny Wenger then took video of the players introducing themselves and some of their accomplishments from this season.
Maybe when he's on his way to visit a recruit, or when there's dead time during Virginia's run-up to its Music City Bowl battle with Minnesota, Rocco will have time to watch the tapes.
Either way, by the time spring practice opens, he'll be prepared.
Liberty's Rocco hits the recruiting trail
By Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
Tuesday, December 6, 2005
Danny Rocco freely admits he doesn't know all of Liberty University's football players yet. He's had more important things to do in the four days since being hired as LU's seventh football coach than memorize the 2005 Flames media guide.
There's recruiting, for one. Rocco said Tuesday that only one scholarship had been offered through Monday, and only one athlete had made an official visit to campus. A day later, 16 more recruits received scholarship offers. That's issue No. 1 for the new head coach between now and Dec. 19, when an NCAA-mandated recruiting moratorium begins.
"We've got other guys we feel good about, but we're not ready to offer them yet," Rocco said. "But we're going to go after them aggressively. Over the next two weekends, we're hoping to have 15-18 guys go through here. That'll give us a chance."
The next item on Rocco's docket is filling a coaching staff, a process that will start with the defensive staff. Rocco met with all of Liberty's remaining assistants Monday and said "there will definitely be guys retained," though he wouldn't elaborate on who at this point.
Step three: Connecting with the community. He started that process Tuesday by speaking at a luncheon for the Flames Club, LU's booster organization.
The last four days have been a whirlwind for Rocco. But in that short amount of time, he's already built a foundation for his program and has capitalized on the enthusiam his hire has sparked in the community.
"I've yet to say no to anyone," Rocco said. "I've got to be the flag carrier right now for this football program. (Being visible) is going to help the program a lot more than me sitting here watching film trying to figure out what went wrong in overtime against Coastal Carolina."
The most pressing piece of business for Rocco, who was Virginia's recruiting coordinator during his first two years on Al Groh's staff in Charlottesville, is revamping LU's recruiting.
When he first met with Liberty's coaches, he found a familiar system in place.
Pete Sundheim, a Liberty assistant who headed recruiting under former coach Ken Karcher, visited Virginia several years ago to get an idea of how the Cavaliers organized their recruiting. When Rocco met with LU's staff about which recruits were on board, the board itself looked very familiar.
"When I went up and down that board, without hesitation, I was making decisions," Rocco said. "I used that recruiting form at Virginia and I used it at Texas."
Once the mad dash to signing day ends in February, Rocco will focus on serious player evaluation. That doesn't mean he isn't trying to connect with his players the same way he is with boosters, community members and recruits.
One thing returning players have insisted is important is being able to have an open relationship with the head coach, something Rocco said he is ready to provide.
"I've got to be positive and uplifting, and challenge the student-athletes to excel," Rocco said.
As far as getting to know those returning players' names, Rocco has a plan for that, too. Considering the meticulous coaches he's worked under in the past - detail-oriented men like Tom Coughlin at Boston College and Al Groh at Virginia - that shouldn't come as a surprise.
During a weight training session Tuesday, Rocco had the players retrieve their practice jerseys so he could identify them by number. Video coordinator Danny Wenger then took video of the players introducing themselves and some of their accomplishments from this season.
Maybe when he's on his way to visit a recruit, or when there's dead time during Virginia's run-up to its Music City Bowl battle with Minnesota, Rocco will have time to watch the tapes.
Either way, by the time spring practice opens, he'll be prepared.
