College Recruiting: a business for experts

Meanwhile quiet seems to be all that is going on the college football scene most coaches are busy making phone calls and anxiously writing letters and cards in an effort to woo the nation's top high-school recruits. However coaches that do it best are the ones that really enjoy it; those that have the ability to not only evaluate talent, but also encourage relationships with the youngsters, family members. These have been identified as the 10 best recruiters in college football today: Eric Bieniemy, running backs coach/recruiting coordinator, UCLA; Tom Bradley, defensive coordinator, Penn State; Mack Brown, head coach, Texas; Pete Carroll, head coach, USC; Rodney Garner, assistant head coach/recruiting coordinator, Georgia; Rob Ianello, receivers coach/recruiting coordinator, Notre Dame; Urban Meyer, head coach, Florida; Ed Orgeron, head coach, Ole Miss; Kevin Steele, executive head coach/linebackers, Florida State; Dave Wannstedt, head coach, Pittsburgh While the aforementioned Top 10 work for fairly high-profile programs, some of the most respected recruiters are the ones who face a tougher sell. In addition, keep in mind that college coaches can begin scouting a high school player as early as his or her freshman year. Although college coaches cannot officially call a prospective student-athlete until July 1 after their junior year, they can immediately send letters to express their interest and to provide information about their programs. Basically, it is important to recognize that coaches always have their ears and eyes open, and if they stumble upon a young soccer stalwart, they will not discount them because of their age. College coaches are always looking to develop their programs, so your talents as a sophomore and even as a freshman can give them ideas about the future of their teams.