Football: BYU's Mendenhall likes recruiting rule change
Count Brigham Young football coach Bronco Mendenhall among the coaches happy with an NCAA recruiting rule change that went into effect this spring. The rule prohibits head coaches from visiting high schools during the spring evaluation period.
Before the change, head coaches could visit high schools during the evaluation period, which runs from April 15 to May 31, However, they were prohibited from speaking in person to potential student-athletes.
Mendenhall said the change didn't effect him because he doesn't visit high schools in the spring anyway.
"I didn't go out before," he said. "I am using that entire time to go out to speak at firesides and really promote the faith of young people around the country."
Alabama coach Nick Saban called the rule change "ridiculous" and USC's Pete Carroll said it benefits "lazy" coaches. But many others agree with Mendenhall, including Utah State coach Brent Guy.
"I personally think it is good that we pulled back in for awhile," Guy said.
Mendenhall said before the change head coaches "put themselves in a very difficult situation" when they went into high schools because it was almost impossible to avoid interaction with recruits.
"Rules are being broken instantly because the head [high school] coach want to introduce people to you, wants them to shake your hand," he said. "Those are called ‘bumps' and it is not legal, and so then you have to act ....rude and it doesn't leave the right impression."
Some coaches have said the ban could prevent them from finding out more about recruits. Saban, for instance, has turned to video conferencing as a way to get around the rule. Mendenhall says he doesn't foresee BYU coaches doing that.
"For the talent pool we are involved with and the unique fit we are after, I don't think [something such as video conferencing] matters," he said.
Before the change, head coaches could visit high schools during the evaluation period, which runs from April 15 to May 31, However, they were prohibited from speaking in person to potential student-athletes.
Mendenhall said the change didn't effect him because he doesn't visit high schools in the spring anyway.
"I didn't go out before," he said. "I am using that entire time to go out to speak at firesides and really promote the faith of young people around the country."
Alabama coach Nick Saban called the rule change "ridiculous" and USC's Pete Carroll said it benefits "lazy" coaches. But many others agree with Mendenhall, including Utah State coach Brent Guy.
"I personally think it is good that we pulled back in for awhile," Guy said.
Mendenhall said before the change head coaches "put themselves in a very difficult situation" when they went into high schools because it was almost impossible to avoid interaction with recruits.
"Rules are being broken instantly because the head [high school] coach want to introduce people to you, wants them to shake your hand," he said. "Those are called ‘bumps' and it is not legal, and so then you have to act ....rude and it doesn't leave the right impression."
Some coaches have said the ban could prevent them from finding out more about recruits. Saban, for instance, has turned to video conferencing as a way to get around the rule. Mendenhall says he doesn't foresee BYU coaches doing that.
"For the talent pool we are involved with and the unique fit we are after, I don't think [something such as video conferencing] matters," he said.
4 Comments:
It is great that he is doing firesides from a spiritual perspective, but one would be naive to think that there were zero recruiting motives behind his firesides.
Good point brett.
I wonder how many of Bronco's firesides just happen to be in cities where a top LDS recruit lives.
I'm sure after the firesides Bronco just happens to bump into the kids he is recruiting, too.
Come on guys. No one is denying that there is an obvious recruiting and program-building purpose behind the firesides. They bring positive attention to BYU's unique position as a church-sponsored institution and to the mission of the church. I'm sure that the NCAA would be fine with other coaches holding spiritual meetings in churches around the country if they would like.
I've been to some of Bronco' firesides here in SoCal. They are centered on spiritual growth. They also are about spiritual growth on the margins. They are entirely about spiritual growth. He and the other speakers do use BYU football in their examples, like RM players teaching non-members from the scriptures in the locker room, as examples of how we all can "open our mouths." This would only be recruiting for athletes who are looking for this environment: it would hinder recruiting of the rest. But, because Bronco says mature, spiritual players are all he wants, this could be called recruiting in a very wide application of the term.
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