Alex Kozan - the rest of the story.
Many of us remember the recruiting drama in 2012 of the offensive lineman from Valor Christian High School in Littleton, Colorado. Alex Kozan wasn't a blue chip five-star recruit - merely a solid three star - but went on to become a 4-year starter and one of the best linemen in the SEC during the early Brady Hoke years when we were desperate for good O linemen. He is definitely in the "what if" file with guys like Terelle Pryor.
Alex's mom has worked at Valor Christian as an administrator for many years and is retiring this spring. She's a wonderful human being - a pillar of the Valor community, always warm and cheerful. The other day, I finally had the opportunity to ask her about Alex's recruiting drama and she was more than happy to share:
- His finalists were Iowa, Michigan, OSU, and Auburn.
- He committed to Iowa in late January 2012. During the last in-home visit with Ferentz and assistants, they had a weird vibe from the OL coach who had been recruiting him; he didn't say much and avoided eye contact. Immediately after his commitment, the OL coach either moved to a different position group, was fired, took another job... I forget the circumstances, but they obviously felt a little duped and decided to decommit from Iowa only a few days later.
- Michigan is now the presumed leader. I think there was a rumor that he committed to UM, but that never happened. The crux: Alex really wanted to go to the B school. The staff was pretty new at this point, but advised Alex that it wasn't likely (I think Mesko was a B-school grad, but I'm guessing that it's a little different for punter). They explained the whole B-school situation, and that he should probably just aim for an LSA econ degree. He really wants to play for Michigan, but is equally focused on life after football, has a passion for business, and just isn't sold on settling on a different major.
- Meanwhile, Auburn and Gene Chizik is recruiting him hard. They pitch a degree program that is in-line with what he wants. He ultimately choses Auburn in May. His commitment is so under-the-radar (no fanfare at all) that is goes unreported and many UM fans assume that he's on a walkabout in outback.
- He goes on to do amazing things in SEC, has a short career in the NFL, and is now an investment banker in NY.
So... great kid from a great family. No real drama or mystery after all. He took his time to make a decision that we didn't like, but was based on respectable criteria.
Godspeed, Alex Kozan. And enjoy your retirement, Theresa... we will miss you.
April 13th, 2023 at 10:31 AM ^
Now that is a blast from the past - thanks for sharing...interesting stuff.
April 13th, 2023 at 11:41 AM ^
I'm gonna go ahead and take cuts here.
Just allow kids to try to get accepted and if they do, try out that field of study for a semester or 2 to see how it pans out, especially for a freshman OL.
Why try to steer them, it's their life, let them figure it out, eventually.
April 13th, 2023 at 12:42 PM ^
No data to back up this statement but I think we have lost more recruits then I care to remember due to this. Recruits wanting the business school and steered into other degree programs due to the work/difficulty before they even know if they can handle it. Some, I am sure are grades/test score related. But when sec schools, ND and others were putting players right into top degree programs and Michigan says Lsa or Kinesiology they said thanks but no thanks.
“… ND and others were putting players into top degree programs and Michigan says Lsa or Kinesiology they said thanks but no thanks.”
Huh? LSA takes a back seat to no school at Michigan or elsewhere. I had zero interest in B school and instead went to a Top 14 (I think that’s what we’re calling it these days) law school after getting a poli sci and history degree. I think very few (Koran excluded) would prefer an Auburn (or elsewhere) undergraduate business degree to one from LSA. And don’t forget that for many, many, years UM didn’t offer B school admissions to any freshmen.
I don't think he is saying LSA takes a back seat to any schools, but programs in LSA can be tailored to be less grueling than being at the M undergrad B school or M Engineering, for example, which routinely weed out Freshmen and Sophmores from those programs by requiring them to take and pass very competitive / challenging classes like Accounting and 100/200 level calculus and physics. And fwiw, the same is true in LSA for pre-med kids having to take Organic Chem.
Also didn't D'Shawn Hand many years ago when he chose Bama over M give one of the reasons as he wanted to do Engineering and was either told that wasn't an option or would be too difficult at M?
Hand wanted petroleum engineering (or whatever they call it), which is a discipline that Michigan doesn't offer (or didn't at the time). So yeah, headlines are fun - 'Kid ditches UM Engineering school for Bama'! But the details are droll little poop stains.
Hand was told that he wouldn't be automatically admitted into the engineering program, he would have to go through the same process as every other student. I'm guessing this is the same with many of the programs at M, and Bama told him he they would guarantee his admission into the engineering program him having to do anything extra to qualify.
I have great respect for all the academic disciplines / departments at Michigan.
And, this is not a “neg” against LS&A, but - I think the “credentials” of the average student in the College of Engineering may actually be higher than LS&A. The average ACT score might be 31/32 for LS&A, while the College of Engineering (CoE) is 34/35.
Entry / acceptance into Michigan is a high bar.
Hand’s numbers (test scores / grades) or high school curriculum might not have been demanding enough for freshmen “direct” admission to the CoE. This being said, Michigan offers direct admission to several thousands CoE applicants annually.
A quick glance at USNWR indicates that Bama’s CoE is ranked about 115th, Michigan’s is Top Ten.
Finally, FWIW - Petroleum Engineering may actually be an offshoot or specialty in the ChemE department.
April 14th, 2023 at 12:10 AM ^
That’s a very generous reading but, if accurate, I concede your point. LSA can be tailored into a less demanding curriculum that B School or Engineering.
But it can also be more demanding if you look at math, or physics, or many of the other hard sciences. And for someone like me who passed on an Ivy admission, LSA was outstanding as the history program is ranked second and poli sci program is ranked fourth (as per USNWR graduate school rankings which is the nearest proxy).
As a grad of LSA (Econ) and Michigan Law (too long ago to mention), I agree that in terms of placement into grad school, LSA is a perfectly fine way to go. But in almost no way does a BA in Econ resemble a BBA. That was exactly what I (and even more so the faculty of the Econ Dept) wanted. It never even occurred to me that one might apply to the B school until my roommate said he wanted to do (which is how you had to do it back then - no applying from high school) and the idea of having to take specific courses and applying again once you at the university seemed crazy as well as limiting. I preferred having Prof. Cameron for Classic Civ to taking an accounting course and wanted to learn about political philosophy more than calculus (although I ultimately had to take it for my Econ degree). If one wants to study business coming out of high school, which I personally could not have even imagined wanting, then LSA Econ would not serve as a substitute, at least in my time. The Econ faculty did everything it could to assure that Econ majors were not learning anything about business, outside perhaps on the intro and intermediate micro courses. As evidence, I submit my essay focusing on Bakunin and collectivist anarchism in my 300 or 400 level Marxist Economics course. I understand in recent years there have been many changes (motivated by competitive interests and requests from practically-minded students, I suspect) and LSA and other students can now take more B school courses and even select a Business minor. Whether that was the case a decade ago, when Kozan was looking, I don't know. But even if a minor was available, there are some people who want to study business and get a business degree. They don't want to study econ or poli sci or psych or, God forbid, English, at most of my friends did when I was in school. And they are not necessarily using their undergraduate degree as preparation for more grad school.
As an aside, my Dad was a hockey player (and a very good one) and BBA grad (even longer ago, obviously) and he made it work, along with washing dishes at my Aunt's sorority, teaching skating, and other sides jobs to pay the bills - the scholarship back then was tuition only and even that was less than $100 per semester, but was more than he would have been able to afford.
HD Cameron was a Dude. Although I think he preferred to go by Don, I recall overhearing some of the TAs in Great Books referring to him as "Howie." Loved his lectures about the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the other Classics.
They don’t call it LS & Play for nothing, my guy.
April 13th, 2023 at 11:58 PM ^
They don’t call it In and Out, Easy for nothing, my man.
April 13th, 2023 at 10:31 AM ^
+1 for Paul Harvey reference
April 13th, 2023 at 10:41 AM ^
Enjoyed Paul's "And now the rest of the story" stories. Unfortunately, his Rx for gin soaked raisins to stop pain was snake oil.
April 13th, 2023 at 11:36 AM ^
Depends on how much Gin they soak and how many you eat.
April 13th, 2023 at 11:47 AM ^
"Good DAY!"
April 13th, 2023 at 11:52 AM ^
That makes one of us. (To each his/her own.) I heard him for the first time on a summer job when a co-worker switched the station near the top of the hour. (He was a big fan of Paul.)
"WTF is this?" I thought. Harvey's style gave me a headache right away. There was also a strong "Family Values" (that kind of family, not that kind) vibe consistent with the shady company he sometimes kept.
April 13th, 2023 at 11:10 AM ^
Speaking of blasts from the past...
I used to hear Paul Harvey on the radio in my dad's car all the time when I was a kid in the 80s. Dad listened to news radio religiously - AM750 WSB in ATL was his station of choice.
Random story - I was driving from AA to DTW to pick up a friend one morning and checking the AM stations for a traffic report. Found one, listened to it, and realized I was picking up Atlanta's AM 750 station. It was so random, I actually remember that I was on the ramp from 23 to 94.
April 13th, 2023 at 11:38 AM ^
Yep, back in the day there were AM superstations that you could hear halfway across the country on certain days and I can recall listening to AM 750 every so often.
April 13th, 2023 at 12:09 PM ^
I will pick up 750 from Atlanta occasionally on the drive back to Chicago after Michigan home football Saturdays. It’s usually in the evening - at 8 pm, or later, ET.
April 13th, 2023 at 12:46 PM ^
Every so often you can pick up an Iowa game on AM radio at night from the metro Detroit area. And a Saints game from the New Orleans station.
On a clear night you can also pull KMOX (1120, I think) out of St Louis. I’ve heard a couple Cardinals games over the years.
April 13th, 2023 at 12:49 PM ^
In 1995, I was driving back from Minneapolis to New Ulm, MN (about 90 minutes south) and listened to WJR talk about the baseball strike getting settled on April 1. I actually called in when I got home and commented that the baseball gods saw fit to have the billionaires and millionaires settle their differences on April Fools Day.
April 14th, 2023 at 11:58 PM ^
+1 for your +1.
April 13th, 2023 at 10:33 AM ^
Cool story. I recall several recruits, years ago, we lost because we wanted to “steer” them to different degrees. IIRC this went back to the Lloyd era
April 13th, 2023 at 10:40 AM ^
That's what happened with Da'Shawn Hand, IIRC. He wanted to major in civil engineering and Hoke was less than enthusiastic about that.
April 13th, 2023 at 11:09 AM ^
Yeah. I also think a lot of coaches know more about what the future holds in terms of time commitment compared to incoming students and can probably recognize how realistic it is that a kid will be able to maintain his academic standing as well as compete for a spot on the team.
Hand, for example, went to Alabama ND graduated with a degree in sports marketing, not civil engineering. As a graduate of UM CoE myself it's fucking hard to do well in those classes while also dedicating 30+ hours of your week to athletics. I don't blame anybody for wanting to pursue his academic dreams but it's probably not realistic for a ton of people to balance both.
April 13th, 2023 at 11:37 AM ^
It should never be a coach telling the player what they must major in. Let the student parts shake out—most students alter their pathway once they get on a campus.
However, I never want my children playing for a coach who wants to dictate what they study.
The coach should have the confidence in the student, his academic support staff, and one’s own ability to guide athletes when they inevitably need some advice.
To me, when a coach steers players’ academic careers so heavyhanded-ly—it says they don’t have any desire to see my kid as anything more than a pawn in their game to win.
April 13th, 2023 at 12:22 PM ^
Or maybe, just maybe, the coach is doing what he thinks is in the best interest of the student academic and athletic career.
April 13th, 2023 at 12:52 PM ^
Or maybe the kid can pull it off! They have been working diligently on honing their skill. They have the commitment.
Either build the rapport that the student-athlete will trust you completely, or let them see how it plays out on their own.
April 13th, 2023 at 12:59 PM ^
But they are also investing in that kid both academically and athletically. If the academic side makes the kid useless to the team because they are ineligible or overworked than it is a wasted scholarship. It would obviously be a need to be a case by case basis and I generally side with supporting their educational choices but they also have to consider the construction of a roster and proper use of scholarships.
At no point does this story state Hoke dictated anything. He didn't say "if you come to Michigan you'll be in major X or you won't be suiting up for me." It's a coach advising this potential athlete about the expectations and trying to set him up for success when he's likely going to be in for a pretty significant culture shock in terms of football requirements as well as academic ones.
I'd also add that if especially early on these athletes are given a lot to handle - their first semester on campus is when the season begins so you've got guys balancing all the academics along with the grind of a season. And if they struggle academically and fall below certain academic benchmarks that could adversely affect their academic and athletic standing.
And finally, because this is basically a copy of a copy of a copy of a conversation we don't know the particular words spoken but telling a guy "hey, you can get an Econ degree vs. a degree from the B school" isn't particularly egregious degree manipulation.
To me, a coach who recognizes the difficulties ahead for my kid and providing useful advice is a sign he doesn't view my kid as just a pawn, but I guess that's different perceptions.
April 13th, 2023 at 12:16 PM ^
I thought engineering was hard at Michigan and had no other job or sports obligations
April 13th, 2023 at 10:34 AM ^
Was that the vision quest kid?
April 13th, 2023 at 10:36 AM ^
Yes - that's the one.
April 13th, 2023 at 11:04 AM ^
Pretty disappointing vision quest... if I go on a vision quest I hope it doesn't end up with me being a NY investment banker.
It ends up with you shedding 22 pounds in 10 weeks and winning a state wrestling title!
It wasn't a state title, simply a (very well-attended) duel match.
April 13th, 2023 at 12:28 PM ^
Yes and I’m a little confused where that fits in to the story. The OP makes it sound like Michigan fans just didn’t know he committed. But we all knew when he announced that his vision quest led him to Auburn. IIRC we all assumed “vision quest” meant “bag”
IIRC, the "vision quest" had nothing to do with an implication of bag, it related to the fact that signing day came and went with no decision. He waited until May to make a decision, which seems like an eternity.
I think you are correct that he said the vision quest quote to delay signing.
I’m saying that people on this board suspected the bag, or pursuit of one, was what caused him to not sign. These were the days when anyone going to Auburn, Ole Miss, or Bama was immediately accused of working with SEC Bagmen. There was that anonymous blog post from a supposed unnamed bag man that essentially confirmed as much.
April 13th, 2023 at 10:34 AM ^
God forbid these young men actually know what they want to study. Good job, Brady.
April 13th, 2023 at 10:45 AM ^
I don't think Hoke's staff mishandled this at all. They were up-front that the B-school is extremely selective and doesn't lower the bar for football players. Not impossible, but they knew the odds were not in their favor.
April 13th, 2023 at 11:03 AM ^
Yeah... this isn't the first student, football player or otherwise, that has picked a school other than Michigan because they couldn't enroll directly into the B school as freshmen.
April 13th, 2023 at 11:12 AM ^
Michigan's undergrad business school is ranked #4 per USNWR; Auburn's is #80. Being realistic with a recruit about how hard it is to enroll into a highly competitive program is what a coach should do. I'm happy the kid found success on and off the field but Hoke saying "get an econ degree" wasn't him being an asshole or anything.
April 13th, 2023 at 11:47 AM ^
I think it depends on how it was presented. There's a big difference between being honest and trying to help a kid understand what options are available and looking out for your own interests as a coach.
Option 1) You are welcome to try enrolling to the B school as a freshman, but you should know it is very selective. If you don't get accepted, you can always get an econ degree. Either way, we would love to have you on the team.
Option 2) The B school is really tough and it may not be the best route for you. Getting an econ degree would be just as good. Don't forget playing football will take up a lot of time also.
It sounds like the kids was serious about school and it has proven to be a wise choice on his part.
April 13th, 2023 at 11:56 AM ^
I think it depends on how it was presented.
Ding, ding, ding! Winner, I say. I've been thinking the same thing while reading a bunch of other posts here.
April 13th, 2023 at 12:57 PM ^
Sure, but the two options you put forth are basically the same in substance AND presentation. One's putting the negative before the positive but they're both "give it a shot but it's tough and here's a fallback". Also, this is pure speculation about what actually was said - this is a poster relaying a conversation from a mother of the athlete who likely heard it from the athlete. So it's a summation of a summation of (possibly) a third summation.
Again, glad the kid found a happy place to land and was successful but the original comment was that Hoke screwed something up here and I don't see how either of these potential comments would have been about protecting the coach's interests in a meaningful way. It's not like an LSA Econ degree is some walk-in-the-park degree either. This was a kid who was going to have to balance a pretty demanding academic load along with football.
April 13th, 2023 at 10:36 AM ^
Thanks for the OP! I'm betting there are some pretty wild stories about recruitment and the actual reason why players make the decisions they do. I'd even bet that the bag man, who gets the credit for 99% of the recruits we miss, is much less a factor than what's believed.