Full interview here

Yesterday, I went to LSU and spent an hour with LSU assistant head coach/running backs/recruiting coordinator Frank Wilson. Entering his fourth year at LSU, Wilson is known as one of the best recruiters in the country. He also prides himself on doing a great job coaching his position group as well.

Over the course of our time together I asked Frank a number of questions and found his answers to not only be revealing, but also found his responses to truly show his passion for being a great overall football coach.

Football Scoop: I asked Frank how many players they evaluate every year...

Wilson: Oh, thousands. Thousands. Thousands. We're blessed to have an excellent operation across the hall (player personnel). They screen thousands of players and make recommendations to me about which players are "our type" of guys. That allows me personally to not have to watch ten thousand; but maybe only one thousand. But it's still a lot of evaluations. And that's something that a lot of people don't understand, people think "recruiting" is the most important thing; but really it starts with talent evaluation. You have to be really good at evaluating which players are right for your program and then you go recruit them...and you have to do that talent evaluation yourself. You can't rely on third party services for that stuff, you have to see them yourself and say that guy would be a great fit on our team. Once you have identified a prospect that you really want for your program, the entire staff has to create and buy in to a detailed plan to recruit that individual. The whole staff has to know the plan and be on the same page. Takes a lot of time; but it's the only way to get the best players for your program and the only way to take your program to the top.

Thousands thousands thousands...............of dollars

The sec way

ZachGivens wrote:

Full interview here

Yesterday, I went to LSU and spent an hour with LSU assistant head coach/running backs/recruiting coordinator Frank Wilson. Entering his fourth year at LSU, Wilson is known as one of the best recruiters in the country. He also prides himself on doing a great job coaching his position group as well.

Over the course of our time together I asked Frank a number of questions and found his answers to not only be revealing, but also found his responses to truly show his passion for being a great overall football coach.

Football Scoop: I asked Frank how many players they evaluate every year...

Wilson: Oh, thousands. Thousands. Thousands. We're blessed to have an excellent operation across the hall (player personnel). They screen thousands of players and make recommendations to me about which players are "our type" of guys. That allows me personally to not have to watch ten thousand; but maybe only one thousand. But it's still a lot of evaluations. And that's something that a lot of people don't understand, people think "recruiting" is the most important thing; but really it starts with talent evaluation. You have to be really good at evaluating which players are right for your program and then you go recruit them...and you have to do that talent evaluation yourself. You can't rely on third party services for that stuff, you have to see them yourself and say that guy would be a great fit on our team. Once you have identified a prospect that you really want for your program, the entire staff has to create and buy in to a detailed plan to recruit that individual. The whole staff has to know the plan and be on the same page. Takes a lot of time; but it's the only way to get the best players for your program and the only way to take your program to the top.

An interesting question might be how many staff members they have to cut through to the final numbers to offer? How does this compare to D-1 schools around the country?

blueskyfly wrote:

ZachGivens wrote:

Full interview here

Yesterday, I went to LSU and spent an hour with LSU assistant head coach/running backs/recruiting coordinator Frank Wilson. Entering his fourth year at LSU, Wilson is known as one of the best recruiters in the country. He also prides himself on doing a great job coaching his position group as well.

Over the course of our time together I asked Frank a number of questions and found his answers to not only be revealing, but also found his responses to truly show his passion for being a great overall football coach.

Football Scoop: I asked Frank how many players they evaluate every year...

Wilson: Oh, thousands. Thousands. Thousands. We're blessed to have an excellent operation across the hall (player personnel). They screen thousands of players and make recommendations to me about which players are "our type" of guys. That allows me personally to not have to watch ten thousand; but maybe only one thousand. But it's still a lot of evaluations. And that's something that a lot of people don't understand, people think "recruiting" is the most important thing; but really it starts with talent evaluation. You have to be really good at evaluating which players are right for your program and then you go recruit them...and you have to do that talent evaluation yourself. You can't rely on third party services for that stuff, you have to see them yourself and say that guy would be a great fit on our team. Once you have identified a prospect that you really want for your program, the entire staff has to create and buy in to a detailed plan to recruit that individual. The whole staff has to know the plan and be on the same page. Takes a lot of time; but it's the only way to get the best players for your program and the only way to take your program to the top.

An interesting question might be how many staff members they have to cut through to the final numbers to offer? How does this compare to D-1 schools around the country?

Interesting question, I agree. Perhaps an exhaustive process given the amount of players evaluated as well as which players to seek moving forward. I suspect you have to have a strong level of trust.

ZachGivens wrote:

blueskyfly wrote:

ZachGivens wrote:

Full interview here

Yesterday, I went to LSU and spent an hour with LSU assistant head coach/running backs/recruiting coordinator Frank Wilson. Entering his fourth year at LSU, Wilson is known as one of the best recruiters in the country. He also prides himself on doing a great job coaching his position group as well.

Over the course of our time together I asked Frank a number of questions and found his answers to not only be revealing, but also found his responses to truly show his passion for being a great overall football coach.

Football Scoop: I asked Frank how many players they evaluate every year...

Wilson: Oh, thousands. Thousands. Thousands. We're blessed to have an excellent operation across the hall (player personnel). They screen thousands of players and make recommendations to me about which players are "our type" of guys. That allows me personally to not have to watch ten thousand; but maybe only one thousand. But it's still a lot of evaluations. And that's something that a lot of people don't understand, people think "recruiting" is the most important thing; but really it starts with talent evaluation. You have to be really good at evaluating which players are right for your program and then you go recruit them...and you have to do that talent evaluation yourself. You can't rely on third party services for that stuff, you have to see them yourself and say that guy would be a great fit on our team. Once you have identified a prospect that you really want for your program, the entire staff has to create and buy in to a detailed plan to recruit that individual. The whole staff has to know the plan and be on the same page. Takes a lot of time; but it's the only way to get the best players for your program and the only way to take your program to the top.

An interesting question might be how many staff members they have to cut through to the final numbers to offer? How does this compare to D-1 schools around the country?

Interesting question, I agree. Perhaps an exhaustive process given the amount of players evaluated as well as which players to seek moving forward. I suspect you have to have a strong level of trust.

I agree with the trust thing but my main point is how many evaluators per team. One might suspect the number drops considerably from the haves to the have nots. If true, game over before teams step on to the field to some degree. Institutional control governed by the Ncaa appears lacking in this area and so many others. But suppose that has always been the case.