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Post by PittLU on Jan 9, 2005 20:58:58 GMT -5
I cannot get a feel for Liberty recruiting. Apparently, not much consideration is given to list potential LU recruits on any recruiting services websites. Can anyone out there point me in the right direction? Is there any hopes for any recruits in the top 150 in the country? Are we getting any help for next year?
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Post by Sly Fox on Jan 10, 2005 0:02:39 GMT -5
I'll never understand why our program makes practically no effort to recruit in Florida, Texas & California where the bast majority of talent int his nation reside. Unless there is a player openly looking to transfer to Liberty, don't expect to land many recruits from beyond the Mid-Atlantic region. There is usually a few Floridians from Christian schools in each class. But otherwise, we seem content to battle the Woffords & Coastal Carolinas of the world for our recruits.
In answer to your original question, with our focus it would be highly unlikely for us to land a Top-150 player unless that player chases us down.
Hopefully, the new contract extension will give the staff the nerve and confidence to try and go beyond their normal crecruiting trails.
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Post by PittLU on Jan 10, 2005 8:48:15 GMT -5
Jerry's vision of the football program is the "be like Notre Dame". During the bowl season, I heard former ND coach Bob Davie say that one thing Charlie Weiss may not realize is the national travel it takes to recruit kids to Notre Dame because of no true local recruiting base and high academic standards. That being said, do Liberty coaches go on the road to recruit, or do we just sit back and let kids look for us? Even ND goes out and recruits and look at their tradition and reputation. Why in the heck would we fight the Woffords and Coastals for players!!!!!!! To me, that makes absolutely NO SENSE! We have a solid alumni base in Christian Schools across the country - LU should AT LEAST lock in the Christian School athletes. That should be our recruiting foundation. An LU coaches pre-requisite should be a knack for recruiting. Yes, Liberty has the the "Liberty Way", but what about the coaches that have to recruit at Universities with stringent admission requirements. Stringent admission requirements and the Liberty Way have the same thing in common - they are a vetting process. They weed out the type of student LU does not want to attract. I am not sure how many scholarships LU can offer, but I know there is a dynamic football team out there just waiting to have the opportunity to go to a University where there values can flourish and they can compete at the DI-AA level. Am I "pie in the sky" or do you all agree? ?
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Post by eddantes on Jan 10, 2005 22:34:29 GMT -5
I spoke with a recruit from California awhile back, and he said that a person from his church suggested he send a tape of his performances to Liberty. From there, the staff decided whether or not to call him back.
So it seems like the first chess move belongs to them.
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Post by PittLU on Jan 10, 2005 22:48:03 GMT -5
Really - as a sales guy, that makes me think that I may need to set up a recruiting/selling seminar.....
Wow am I fired up. We sit here and wonder why the athletic teams dont perform better, and then you relay a first hand story of the LU recruiting myth that "if they want to come, they will make the effort". To that I have a few choice words that are against the Liberty Way. Either the program is arrogant, doesnt mind losing, or has no idea the regarding the fundamentals of recruiting which should be taught in College Coaching 101.
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Post by Duntonville on Jan 10, 2005 22:54:04 GMT -5
this may be a little off the wall, but might they be interested in a few "lay recruiters" (with more authority than just "hey, you look good kid...send that tape in to LU")
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Post by PAmedic on Jan 10, 2005 23:11:35 GMT -5
I bet a STRONG Alumni assoc could make that happen. And I think we are just the (know-it-all) gentleman to do it- I assure you, given the opportunity, I would be more than happy to spend some time checking out new recruits on behalf of ol' LU. I accept VISA, MC and AmEx!
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Post by Sly Fox on Jan 10, 2005 23:18:02 GMT -5
Ed is correct in the standard practice for most players who wind up at Liberty. Either they contact the school indicating their interest or a coach does it on their behalf. And frankly, to some extent that is going to be a fact of life since it is not possible to canvas every senior in America to find out who would be willing to submit to the Liberty Way. Its the same challenges felt by the service academies.
But BYU offers us a different way to recruit. They use their stakes (churches) to scout out players. Then they begin the process of selling the unique Mormon experience of BYU to the prospects. Of course, they also recuit non-Mormons (like Jim McMahon, Ty Detmer, etc.). Buyt most of those kids were selected after expressing an interest in BYU's success.
If we were to utilize churches in a similar fashion to ferret out the top prospects with Christian values, we could potentially build a network that would far exceed the reach of BYU. I've brought this to the attention of the Athletic Office several times over the years. But the general reaction is that it is a great idea, but not practical to implement. But I am not giving up. With the internet, it is no longer as expensive to market to prospects. The postage cost alone would be astronomical back in the day to mail letters. But via the internet & e-mail, anything is possible. But I digress once again ...
As for the "lay recruiters" concept, its a fine line to walk as alumni of a school. The NCAA frowns on any sanctioned alumni intervention in the recruiting process. But there are ways to indirectly get the message across.
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Post by PittLU on Jan 11, 2005 8:50:50 GMT -5
Sly - we agree. I think what you said is tremendous and not that difficult to implement. Churches and to a greater extent - Christian Schools. But I think PAmed has a point too. You have to strengthen the alumni base in these churches and schools. I agree that the end product would be a serious niche and that eventually, recruiting would take care of itself......
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Post by Sly Fox on Jan 11, 2005 13:39:50 GMT -5
Here in Texas, I am constantly amazed at how few of the kids even know Liberty exists. Most just think their options are going to Baylor or state schools. Whenever I mention Liberty, most seemed genuinely shocked there is another Christian option other than BU (and Baylor's Christian reputation is obviously in disarray). With a little creative marketing, we could be dipping into a vastly large pool of talent to choose from.
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Post by PittLU on Jan 11, 2005 14:26:15 GMT -5
I am not suprised about what you find from the kids in Texas. LU is all the way in Virginia. The only way you hear of LU is through religious radio stations, print media, or church. That has bothered me. While those publications need the support of LU and that is focused marketing, whatever happened to mass marketing of the University? I got tons of literature from the likes of St. Olif college in Minnesota and a TON of small schools when I was a sophomore and junior in high school. They had to get my name somehow, and I am sure that they have smaller budgets that Liberty.
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Post by LUconn on Jan 11, 2005 15:07:59 GMT -5
edit: I just made a huge bball post and a few minutes later I realized where I was. Carry on.
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aLUmnus
Full Member
old school LU
Posts: 192
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Post by aLUmnus on Jan 11, 2005 16:54:16 GMT -5
A lot of LU's good marketing comes from the Distance Program, which makes sense because that's what makes LU money.
I also think that they are relying on sports to get the school attention. There are hundreds of schools out there that you will never hear about (Liberty being one of them), unless they are huge academically or huge athletically. Liberty does get advertising every time Falwell is on TV, though, which is much more than most schools.
Let me ask you, though, how many high school guidence counselors are going to be recommending Liberty to their students? Unless it's a Christian high school, absolutely zero.
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Post by Sly Fox on Jan 11, 2005 23:05:11 GMT -5
While distance is a factor, back when I was at Liberty something 10-15% of students on campus came from Texas. The Lone Star State is a huge Baptist stronghold with conservative leanings. Most of the big-name pastors of mega-churches (that make TRBC look small in comparison) are big supporters of Liberty since there aren't any flagship schools associated with the SBC that are Bible-based (I know they are battling back at Baylor, but come on).
Targeted marketing could make a big impact for not only the athletic department, but also the institution overall.
But then again, what do I know?
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Post by JackSparrow81 on Jan 18, 2005 15:44:05 GMT -5
SLY FOX Where at in Texas are u located
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Post by Sly Fox on Jan 18, 2005 23:03:34 GMT -5
The JackSparrow I have heard so much about makes his debut in the Fire House. First off, welcome. Go ahead and register. If you spin through the threads already posted I think you will find we are picking up steam around here.
As for my current location, I have spent the past couple of years here in Houston. Prior to that, I was in Austin for a little over six years. And before that, I spent 6+ years down in Corpus Christi. I had never even visited the Lone Star State until my sophomore year at Liberty when my parents moved down to South Texas. So I have been down here now for over 15 years. Sheesh .. my Yankee tag is just about gone.
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Post by krh44 on Apr 24, 2005 16:18:18 GMT -5
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Post by PAmedic on Apr 25, 2005 5:43:11 GMT -5
here's the complete list of signings (from www.showingblitz.com/2005official.html) I noticed 2 things: 1. CON: lots of little guys (5'11" or less, and those figures were likely exaggerated to begin with) 2. PRO: several locals from the Lynchburg area, a good sign for the program if we are seen as a viable option.
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Post by Sly Fox on Apr 25, 2005 21:39:42 GMT -5
One stinking Texan? Weak class. Hopefully those JUCOs can step in right away.
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Post by V88 on Apr 26, 2005 7:25:15 GMT -5
Sly, You are correct about the huge churches in Texas. My brother in law was the youth minister at Prestonwood in Dallas and that place makes TRBC look like a one room schoolhouse. People refer to it as Prestonworld. It would be great to get more recruits out of that area. I wonder how many of the recruits that go to a Baptist school like Baylor even consider LU.
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