Goodbye: David Dawson

I just read that Freep article.  Coach obviously wants to send as many kids to college on scholarship as possible.  Cass Tech has a lot of prospects, including some Michigan won't have room for (esp. if Hoke continues pulling in classes ranked in the top 5).  Building a relationship with every school is on his agenda.  What's he supposed to say, that he's diappointed D. Finley isn't going to Michigan when he didn't get a scholarship offer?  That kids like Deon Drake, Kenton Gibbs, etc. should walk on at Michigan and take out student loans (if they can get accepted academically)?  

Also read carefully because that second quote in the article is from Finley not Coach Wilcher:

"It's not like that," Finley said. "It's never been like that. Most of our best guys do end up at U-M, but I believe this can change things. I feel like me going to MSU might open up some doors. More guys might look at MSU, and MSU might recruit more of our guys."

Obviously kids within a year of each other might have interest in playing in college together, but generally I think these "pipelines" are more recruiting spin than anything else.  I mean, Farmington Hills Harrison was supposed to be an MSU pipeline, but that didn't stop Funchess and Ojemudia from coming to Michigan (thank goodness).

"I hope to send more recruits Western Michigan's way" would you have had any reaction at all? 

His job is not to be an illegal recruiter for Michigan, but to win football games and mold young men. And along the way if he can get as many of them as possible a free education by playing football, he's going to try and do that. That means sending as much of his team as can get offers to college programs. The really good ones to Michigan, Florida, etc. The next tier of guys who aren't getting offers from them to Iowa, Northwestern, and yes, MSU, as the other instate program.  And then guys to Western, Eastern, Toledo, etc.  And hopefully some guys to places like Grand Valley State. Almost all of whom, including that top tier, aren't going to be professional players, and are going to get a free education out of it. 

That's what he's supposed to do, and I'd be disappointed in him if did like certain other coaches did, and steer players to or away from a place. He doesn't need to push every player he has to go to Michigan.  First, only a very few of them are going to be good enough for Michigan to be interested in.  Second, he doesn't need to overtly act on it; he lives it every day.