Non-football coaches sound like football coaches when talking recruiting
We post college football coaches' thoughts on recruiting often on this site. It's pretty much our bread and butter.
But while we often advocate for players playing multiple sports, we also try to encourage coaches to take a similar approach to their craft. With that in mind, we came across an article published by the New York Times collecting thoughts on recruiting from coaches hailing from a number of sports.
What you'll find is these non-football coaches sound a lot like, well, football coaches.
Washington & Lee men's lacrosse coach Gene McCabe: "I always find it interesting to get a voicemail from a parent saying that their son is so busy that he can’t call me himself. Until that kid picks up the phone, I assume they are not interested. When you see a kid who has taken ownership of the process, it tells you that, by and large, they will take ownership of other things in their lives, too."
Clemson women's basketball coach Audra Smith: "There are kids I don’t recruit because I see their social media. When I see an inappropriate [post], like provocative pictures or inappropriate language, it’s a red flag. It not only tells me about the player, it also tells me that their parents are obviously not aware of what’s going on in their teen’s world, and I don’t feel like I’m going to have that backing from a parent if I have an issue with that child."
Stanford men's soccer coach Jeremy Gunn: "The biggest asset I look for on the field, past athleticism and skill, is intrinsic drive. The most successful student athletes that I have coached are the ones that, first minute or last minute, winning or losing, hot day or cold day, cup final or “easier game,” show the same type of attitude. If somebody has that drive and work ethic, they will continuously grow and develop. As a coach you are not really recruiting the student athlete for today, you are recruiting who they are going to become and who you think they can be."
Harvard women's lacrosse coach Lisa Miller: "Ninety percent of our athletes played multiple sports in high school. Multi-sport play reduces overuse injuries and exercises different muscles — but there’s also a learning benefit. You might be the star lacrosse player but when it comes to basketball, you may be on the bench for most of the game. It’s a good learning experience for a kid to have to sit on the bench. It puts them in another person’s shoes and teaches them empathy, which will make them a better leader and teammate."
Columbia women's soccer coach Tracey Bartholomew: "We vet players by talking to their club coaches. I want to know: Is this the kid who after practice is by themselves, wearing their headphones, walking quickly off the field? Or is this the kid who picks up the cones and the pinnies and helps out? I want the kid who picks up the cones, who has that awareness of other people. In developing a team, I look for people who are not selfish. I honestly would take A- or B+ level talent but A+ characteristics because those people tend to rise when things get harder."
