BleedGopher
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2008
- Messages
- 62,291
- Reaction score
- 18,971
- Points
- 113
per the AP:
Recruiting restrictions brought about by the pandemic forced coaching staffs to find new ways to make their pitches to top high school seniors.
Some of the ideas worked well enough to perhaps become permanent fixtures.
With students unable to make official visits during a prolonged recruiting dead period, schools brought the campus to them through virtual tours. And these visits were quite a bit more in-depth than quick looks at facilities or conversations with coaches.
“I think using virtual Zoom, whatever you want to call it, to do home visits is something that was very beneficial to myself and the assistant coaches in terms of developing relationships with the families,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said Wednesday after finalizing the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class. “We also included the families in virtual practice. We included them in virtual medical meetings, virtual strength and conditioning, academics, academic appointments.”
The coaches and prospects eventually grew more familiar with the technology so that all the online communication became less awkward.
Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck told the story of how the mother of tight end prospect Jameson Geers felt comfortable enough to turn a virtual campus tour into something quite different.
“She took the phone and said, ‘You know what. I’m tired of your tours. You’re going on a tour of our house. We’re getting a home visit,’" Fleck recalled. “We did a whole tour of her house, went into every single room, behind every door. We saw everything on every wall.”
Go Gophers!!
Recruiting restrictions brought about by the pandemic forced coaching staffs to find new ways to make their pitches to top high school seniors.
Some of the ideas worked well enough to perhaps become permanent fixtures.
With students unable to make official visits during a prolonged recruiting dead period, schools brought the campus to them through virtual tours. And these visits were quite a bit more in-depth than quick looks at facilities or conversations with coaches.
“I think using virtual Zoom, whatever you want to call it, to do home visits is something that was very beneficial to myself and the assistant coaches in terms of developing relationships with the families,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said Wednesday after finalizing the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class. “We also included the families in virtual practice. We included them in virtual medical meetings, virtual strength and conditioning, academics, academic appointments.”
The coaches and prospects eventually grew more familiar with the technology so that all the online communication became less awkward.
Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck told the story of how the mother of tight end prospect Jameson Geers felt comfortable enough to turn a virtual campus tour into something quite different.
“She took the phone and said, ‘You know what. I’m tired of your tours. You’re going on a tour of our house. We’re getting a home visit,’" Fleck recalled. “We did a whole tour of her house, went into every single room, behind every door. We saw everything on every wall.”
Virtual recruiting strategies could stay after pandemic ends
Recruiting restrictions brought about by the pandemic forced coaching staffs to find new ways to make their pitches to top high school seniors
www.baynews9.com
Go Gophers!!