Riley vs. Harbaugh Recruiting: A Parent Chimes In

[TheSker]

So with the whole Riley vs Harbaugh thing.......Harbaugh's history tells us he will wear out his welcome and/or move on in 2-3 years, but Riley's history was not an indicator he'd be a .500 coach at Nebraska? Got it.

 

[zoogs]

I think Blue has a reasonable post. Harbaugh's actions aren't indefensible, but they've come under plenty of fire. But the optics and the timing have reflected very poorly, and he does own this zany sleepover image he's worked at crafting, too. Sure, there's another side, and frankly, the bottom line is none of it has to stop him from succeeding. SEC schools at the top of the CFB world have been aggressively dropping guys for years, again to the gripes of others.

TheSker, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were a pot-stirring rival school fan coming here to trash talk Husker fans. In fact, I don't know any better -- and if that's your posting tact here, what's the difference?

This isn't a place that takes kindly to being used as a medium for pot-stirring and trash-talking. Take that into consideration, please. If trolling's the goal, find a different place. If you're merely disagreeing, find a different tact. Thanks.

 

[It'sNotAFakeID]

It’ll be interesting to see how long these shenanigans continue. If Michigan gets stuck in neutral a few seasons down the road, even jumping through flaming hoops may not get Harbaugh off of the hot seat.

lol

Michigan's class is ranked 3rd in the country (2nd in the B1G). Nebraska is 32nd in the country (6th in the B1G) behind football powerhouses like Duke and Kentucky.

Quantity vs. Quality.

 

[B.B. Hemingway]

Look, the bottom line with these de-commit stories is that you get one side of the story. The staff is not allowed to discuss recruits and they probably wouldn't even if they could. Each of these kids are given strict guidelines when they commit about what work they need to put in and what goals they need to accomplish in order to stay committed. The one de-commit who has had negative things to say (Swenson) was a Hoke recruit who the Harbaugh staff never saw in person. They asked him to camp over the summer and he refused. His play over his senior season regressed and he did not meet the goals given to him by the staff. I do wish that instead of dropping hints like the staff was supposedly doing, they would have been a little bit more upfront in the fall. Swenson is going to have plenty of great options to land, but I'd still like to see that communication happen earlier.

I will say this. In the first full recruiting cycle for this staff they did a lot of crazy things (coaching clinics, satellite camps) that caused a lot of splash at first. However, I think the staff was disorganized in its approach and communication with some of these kids. Hopefully that improves going forward.

Also, all of you who think Harbaugh is gone after 2-4 years are delusional. It's wishful thinking and he's not leaving (if he ever does) until he's built something great.

I hope he stays. He's great for the B1G. Even if he is a deranged lunatic.

 

[BlueInTheFace]

Look, the bottom line with these de-commit stories is that you get one side of the story. The staff is not allowed to discuss recruits and they probably wouldn't even if they could. Each of these kids are given strict guidelines when they commit about what work they need to put in and what goals they need to accomplish in order to stay committed. The one de-commit who has had negative things to say (Swenson) was a Hoke recruit who the Harbaugh staff never saw in person. They asked him to camp over the summer and he refused. His play over his senior season regressed and he did not meet the goals given to him by the staff. I do wish that instead of dropping hints like the staff was supposedly doing, they would have been a little bit more upfront in the fall. Swenson is going to have plenty of great options to land, but I'd still like to see that communication happen earlier.

I will say this. In the first full recruiting cycle for this staff they did a lot of crazy things (coaching clinics, satellite camps) that caused a lot of splash at first. However, I think the staff was disorganized in its approach and communication with some of these kids. Hopefully that improves going forward.

Also, all of you who think Harbaugh is gone after 2-4 years are delusional. It's wishful thinking and he's not leaving (if he ever does) until he's built something great.

I think this is a very reasonable post and you articulated it well.

How do you respond to those who believe that Harbaugh will move on.........simply because he wears out his welcome................??

(I have no opinion on this, but would like you to respond with more than... those who think this are........."delusional"...)

Okay, calling people "delusional" was an overreach on my part. I can definitely see where that sentiment comes from outside of the "closeness" of one's own program. I'm sure there are things about NU that people just "assume" without really knowing the program. It's why people call Urban sleezy and Dantonio heartless*.

Re: the Harbs tenure thing, though, the general narrative is that Harbaugh "wears out his welcome." The only place this is really evident (other than whispers from stanford message boards) is from his departure from the 49ers. Anyone who has watched the 49er front office this year should be able to realize where the real problem lied.

Harbaugh has literally come into a situation where he can't wear out his welcome if he is winning. As for the NFL whispers? That's fine. If he wants to go back to the NFL at some point that's fine, but I really think that everyone who is close to the program thinks he is in it for the (relative) long haul. It might be blind homerism or whatever, but I believe it too.

*Dantonio literally is heartless

 

[FredDudaForPresident]

Long time reader, first time writer. (Always wanted to say that.)

Been a long time HUSKER. Goes back to grade school laying on my bed listening to the boys on my trusty transister radio.

Something I see on this site ALL the time. Have a little patience. Take a chill pill.

Harbaugh is the bottle rocket. Riley NOT so much. WE will get there. LATER-------

 

[skersfan]

Big difference between what Coach Harbaugh walked into and what Coach Riley walked into.

Michigan man returning home, after successful stints at Stanford and the NFL.

Kids anxious to see him, meet him, knowing how important the return of a Michigan Man is.

Nothing but positives to deal with.

Riley not so much.

The hate here for him is still staggering by some.

Recruiting is about relating to the kid, really nothing more. Coach Harbaugh seems to be doing it. If he signs the number 3 class no one at Michigan is going to be complaining. He had a great season his first season. A very tough loss to Michigan State no question, but deep down the fans feel he should have won. .

 

[Mavric]

It’ll be interesting to see how long these shenanigans continue. If Michigan gets stuck in neutral a few seasons down the road, even jumping through flaming hoops may not get Harbaugh off of the hot seat.

lol

Michigan's class is ranked 3rd in the country (2nd in the B1G). Nebraska is 32nd in the country (6th in the B1G) behind football powerhouses like Duke and Kentucky.

Quantity vs. Quality.

Well ... they're actually winning both.

 

[Comish]

Look, the bottom line with these de-commit stories is that you get one side of the story. The staff is not allowed to discuss recruits and they probably wouldn't even if they could. Each of these kids are given strict guidelines when they commit about what work they need to put in and what goals they need to accomplish in order to stay committed. The one de-commit who has had negative things to say (Swenson) was a Hoke recruit who the Harbaugh staff never saw in person. They asked him to camp over the summer and he refused. His play over his senior season regressed and he did not meet the goals given to him by the staff. I do wish that instead of dropping hints like the staff was supposedly doing, they would have been a little bit more upfront in the fall. Swenson is going to have plenty of great options to land, but I'd still like to see that communication happen earlier.

I will say this. In the first full recruiting cycle for this staff they did a lot of crazy things (coaching clinics, satellite camps) that caused a lot of splash at first. However, I think the staff was disorganized in its approach and communication with some of these kids. Hopefully that improves going forward.

Also, all of you who think Harbaugh is gone after 2-4 years are delusional. It's wishful thinking and he's not leaving (if he ever does) until he's built something great.

I think this is a very reasonable post and you articulated it well.

How do you respond to those who believe that Harbaugh will move on.........simply because he wears out his welcome................??

(I have no opinion on this, but would like you to respond with more than... those who think this are........."delusional"...)

Okay, calling people "delusional" was an overreach on my part. I can definitely see where that sentiment comes from outside of the "closeness" of one's own program. I'm sure there are things about NU that people just "assume" without really knowing the program. It's why people call Urban sleezy and Dantonio heartless*.

Re: the Harbs tenure thing, though, the general narrative is that Harbaugh "wears out his welcome." The only place this is really evident (other than whispers from stanford message boards) is from his departure from the 49ers. Anyone who has watched the 49er front office this year should be able to realize where the real problem lied.

Harbaugh has literally come into a situation where he can't wear out his welcome if he is winning. As for the NFL whispers? That's fine. If he wants to go back to the NFL at some point that's fine, but I really think that everyone who is close to the program thinks he is in it for the (relative) long haul. It might be blind homerism or whatever, but I believe it too.

*Dantonio literally is heartless

Well said.

Thanks

 

[cornographic]

Long time reader, first time writer. (Always wanted to say that.)

Been a long time HUSKER. Goes back to grade school laying on my bed listening to the boys on my trusty transister radio.

Something I see on this site ALL the time. Have a little patience. Take a chill pill.

Harbaugh is the bottle rocket. Riley NOT so much. WE will get there. LATER-------

Volkammen!

I just loved the olden days of listening to Husker games on a transister radio, those were the best of times... Transister radios are cool! Saturday afternoons were often times characterized by transister radios blaring Husker games throughout the neighborhood.

 

[cm husker]

So a guy who does what ever it takes has the #3 recruiting class in the country and thats a bad thing? If a HC at NU did that we'd think it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Parents don't like it? I guarantee if Michicken wants them (their kids) other schools do as well.........

Who cares. Winning is the best thing we can do to help recruiting IMO.

Tell me you forgot the sarcasm emoji. Doing whatever it takes to get a high ranking? Well, hell, just break out the cash and chicks and call us SMU.

Whats he done that's illegal? No different than Franklin and his satellite camps. IIRC, Harbaugh is trying to have part of Michigan's spring camp at IMG academy in Florida. http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/1/10/10747118/jim-harbaugh-michigan-spring-practice-img-academy-florida-satellite-camps

No different than "McShane owning twitter". No different than Oregon and their different uniforms each week. In this day and age, coaches are doing everything to bridge the gap with the kids (18 year olds) and connect.

He is doing whatever it takes to relate to the kids. I haven't heard anything illegal, immoral or dishonest.

I stand by my original comments that if NU was doing this, and we had a top 3 class, I can't imagine any complaining.

I never mentioned "illegal" and neither did you in the post I responded to. My concern remains with the concept that Nebraska would stoop to the borderline unethical things Harbaugh has done (spending the night at a kid's home so he can wake up there in the morning. Is that one official visit, or it is two? But in the larger sense I would rather lose than adopt this mentality to recruiting at Nebraska: "...So a guy who does what ever it takes has the #3 recruiting class in the country and thats a bad thing?"

Ya, that's a bad thing.

Not IMO. He doesn't do anything unethical or shady who cares if he looks like an a$$ clown doing it. You can't argue with his results. He is going toe to toe with Urban for the #1 recruit class in the B1G. Think things are hard to recruit now? Wait until it becomes a 3 horse race year in and year at with MSU, OSU and Michigan.
We complain about lack of talent. About getting the pipe line back. About depth. Getting the difference makers. Guess what. JH is. In year 2. After going 10-3 without his guys, with a Iowa transfer at QB and like NU and its last 2nd miscues, was a fluke play away from being 11-2 (MSU).

We want to win. We need to get more stars. Thats plain and simple. The coach em up philosophy is great. If you have some elite talent around them. We have had 1 OL all conference in like the past 10 years IIRC. Thats not getting it done. TO's class ranking. Who cares. We had partial qualifiers, much larger schoolies available. Oh and we were in the hunt year in and year out for the conference at a minimum. And the MNC every few years.... AND THE GREATEST COACH TO EVER COACH THE GAME. Not to mention, elite S&C program, all world facilities and an offensive and defensive identity. Not to mention a staff that was as adapt at in game transitions as they were to whole scale schematic changes.

To add, look at Dabo at Clemson. He whips, he dabs, he has a pizza party for the whole university. The kids and parents seem to love "it" and him. They seem to be doing pretty well on the recruiting trail as well. Oh, and they are also winning. A lot.

Bottom line, we can agree to disagree.

The number of articles pounding Harbaugh's recruiting tactics increase daily and now include some writers who cover MU. I really can't understand why you can't see the guy is a ticking time bomb. He craps himself most places he goes. Can I argue with his results? Yah, but that's just me. How about the kids who have been committed to MU for a long time who have been cut loose two weeks before NSD? Yeah, sign good old NU up for that.

And as for Harbaugh going 10-3 with kids he didn't recruit? How about apples to apples?

(SOURCE: Rivals) https://rivals.yahoo.com/michigan/football/recruiting/teamrank/2013/all/all

Team Recruiting Rankings MU NU

2011 21 15

2012 7 25

2013 5 17

2014 31 32

MU beat NU every year that Hoke recruited and that is what Harbaugh and Riley inherited. If you go back to2011 it's the same thing. How in the hell anyone can lay this at Riley's doorstep is beyond me other than a pathological hatred of Riley and his staff. And as for Sweeny, he and Pelini were hired the same years. Look what Sweeny did with recruits and look what Pelini left Riley. And I don't think Sweeny had to deal with a poisoned atmosphere when he showed up......Riley did.

My bottom line is I do not want to win at any cost. Anyone who does sure does not NU tradition.

More player blaming/bashing to defend a .500 coach going 6-7.

You guys are hilarious in your contortions of facts and inventions of narratives.

Just like back in '04, it's about the previous coach and the players supposedly being crappy.

Hopefully it doesn't turn out like it did in '07,

 

[BigRedBuster]

So a guy who does what ever it takes has the #3 recruiting class in the country and thats a bad thing? If a HC at NU did that we'd think it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Parents don't like it? I guarantee if Michicken wants them (their kids) other schools do as well.........

Who cares. Winning is the best thing we can do to help recruiting IMO.

Tell me you forgot the sarcasm emoji. Doing whatever it takes to get a high ranking? Well, hell, just break out the cash and chicks and call us SMU.

Whats he done that's illegal? No different than Franklin and his satellite camps. IIRC, Harbaugh is trying to have part of Michigan's spring camp at IMG academy in Florida. http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/1/10/10747118/jim-harbaugh-michigan-spring-practice-img-academy-florida-satellite-camps

No different than "McShane owning twitter". No different than Oregon and their different uniforms each week. In this day and age, coaches are doing everything to bridge the gap with the kids (18 year olds) and connect.

He is doing whatever it takes to relate to the kids. I haven't heard anything illegal, immoral or dishonest.

I stand by my original comments that if NU was doing this, and we had a top 3 class, I can't imagine any complaining.

I never mentioned "illegal" and neither did you in the post I responded to. My concern remains with the concept that Nebraska would stoop to the borderline unethical things Harbaugh has done (spending the night at a kid's home so he can wake up there in the morning. Is that one official visit, or it is two? But in the larger sense I would rather lose than adopt this mentality to recruiting at Nebraska: "...So a guy who does what ever it takes has the #3 recruiting class in the country and thats a bad thing?"

Ya, that's a bad thing.

Not IMO. He doesn't do anything unethical or shady who cares if he looks like an a$$ clown doing it. You can't argue with his results. He is going toe to toe with Urban for the #1 recruit class in the B1G. Think things are hard to recruit now? Wait until it becomes a 3 horse race year in and year at with MSU, OSU and Michigan.
We complain about lack of talent. About getting the pipe line back. About depth. Getting the difference makers. Guess what. JH is. In year 2. After going 10-3 without his guys, with a Iowa transfer at QB and like NU and its last 2nd miscues, was a fluke play away from being 11-2 (MSU).

We want to win. We need to get more stars. Thats plain and simple. The coach em up philosophy is great. If you have some elite talent around them. We have had 1 OL all conference in like the past 10 years IIRC. Thats not getting it done. TO's class ranking. Who cares. We had partial qualifiers, much larger schoolies available. Oh and we were in the hunt year in and year out for the conference at a minimum. And the MNC every few years.... AND THE GREATEST COACH TO EVER COACH THE GAME. Not to mention, elite S&C program, all world facilities and an offensive and defensive identity. Not to mention a staff that was as adapt at in game transitions as they were to whole scale schematic changes.

To add, look at Dabo at Clemson. He whips, he dabs, he has a pizza party for the whole university. The kids and parents seem to love "it" and him. They seem to be doing pretty well on the recruiting trail as well. Oh, and they are also winning. A lot.

Bottom line, we can agree to disagree.

The number of articles pounding Harbaugh's recruiting tactics increase daily and now include some writers who cover MU. I really can't understand why you can't see the guy is a ticking time bomb. He craps himself most places he goes. Can I argue with his results? Yah, but that's just me. How about the kids who have been committed to MU for a long time who have been cut loose two weeks before NSD? Yeah, sign good old NU up for that.

And as for Harbaugh going 10-3 with kids he didn't recruit? How about apples to apples?

(SOURCE: Rivals) https://rivals.yahoo.com/michigan/football/recruiting/teamrank/2013/all/all

Team Recruiting Rankings MU NU

2011 21 15

2012 7 25

2013 5 17

2014 31 32

MU beat NU every year that Hoke recruited and that is what Harbaugh and Riley inherited. If you go back to2011 it's the same thing. How in the hell anyone can lay this at Riley's doorstep is beyond me other than a pathological hatred of Riley and his staff. And as for Sweeny, he and Pelini were hired the same years. Look what Sweeny did with recruits and look what Pelini left Riley. And I don't think Sweeny had to deal with a poisoned atmosphere when he showed up......Riley did.

My bottom line is I do not want to win at any cost. Anyone who does sure does not NU tradition.

More player blaming/bashing to defend a .500 coach going 6-7.

You guys are hilarious in your contortions of facts and inventions of narratives.

Just like back in '04, it's about the previous coach and the players supposedly being crappy.

Hopefully it doesn't turn out like it did in '07,

That's really a worn out comment you use in so many situations that it doesn't apply to.

 

[Hedley Lamarr]

Did Tom ever have a recruiting class ranked what Riley's is?

His 1990 class, averaged out across the ranking services as that time, was a 28.33. The only data I'm aware of goes back to 1987, but I also haven't searched that hard for years prior to that.

I don't think OZ ever got very highly ranked recruiting classes. ~20th range on average. Rozier was a community college transfer. We were always 2nd fiddle to Barry in the conference in terms of talent and speed. And then it was The U, and FSU, yada yada. NE is a "coach 'em up" school, always has been, always will be. Of course, if we start winning the division on a regular basis and, heaven forbid, the conference every now and then, well, recruiting can't help but get better.

That simply isn't true, from 87-96 TO signed 5 top 10 classes.

 

[BigRedBuster]

I'm sorry....but sleeping at a recruit's house and even commenting on sleeping on his floor....is just creepy.

I don't care if he has a top 5 class......their is something just weird about that.

 

[Hedley Lamarr]

Did Tom ever have a recruiting class ranked what Riley's is?

His 1990 class, averaged out across the ranking services as that time, was a 28.33. The only data I'm aware of goes back to 1987, but I also haven't searched that hard for years prior to that.

I don't think OZ ever got very highly ranked recruiting classes. ~20th range on average. Rozier was a community college transfer. We were always 2nd fiddle to Barry in the conference in terms of talent and speed. And then it was The U, and FSU, yada yada. NE is a "coach 'em up" school, always has been, always will be. Of course, if we start winning the division on a regular basis and, heaven forbid, the conference every now and then, well, recruiting can't help but get better.

That simply isn't true, from 87-96 TO signed 5 top 10 classes.

Easier to do when there is only 1 service rating classes...and it's the AP and coaches...and there are less teams overall to contend for recruits with. We know how accurate they are. Not to mention that TO had about 7-10 more scholly's to work with in the early nineties.

Just a different era and something we can't compare to today's recruiting.

There were multiple service rankings, from 2-3 for the most part. He did have more scholarships but so did every other school. I don't see why that doesn't slightly refute the fact that TO simply "coached em up" he recruited elite talent from across the country for starters.