Roquan Smith's coach slams player's internet critics
Roquan Smith's coach Larry Harold tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that recruits are sold on coaches, so when coaches don't reveal they're leaving a school, recruits have every right to be upset.
“When you get recruited by Ohio State, Michigan, Alabama, Oregon and all these top schools – when you go visit them, they all have nice football facilities. They have good academic centers and beautiful campuses. Everything is basically the same everywhere. So what separates them? You know what the coaches sell those kids on? ‘That it’s about the people and the relationships.’ That’s all they sell the kids on."
He also slams internet posters critical of decisions by Smith and other recruits.
“I’m really, really, really getting upset because there are grown men sitting behind a computer commenting on stuff that they know nothing about."
And he's absolutely right. About all of it. It's an interesting read. The article also mentions similar situations from this year's NSD, including Mike Weber's committment to OSU.
February 8th, 2015 at 6:29 AM ^
That's not going to solve the problem because the coaches that leave will just wait until X+1 days to announce they are leaving. The time between signing day and the beginning of spring football is a slow period. Whether the X days is one day, one week, or two weeks is not going to make much of a difference.
February 8th, 2015 at 12:16 PM ^
Forget the time limit altogether. It's unnecessary.
February 8th, 2015 at 6:35 AM ^
February 8th, 2015 at 6:42 AM ^
February 8th, 2015 at 6:57 AM ^
Michigan has this too called the Lemon Law but I'm not sure it applies to employment contracts, I think it only applies to vehicles. It was started here to protect people who bought cars and found problems within the first few days so now you have 72 hours to back out of it.
February 8th, 2015 at 9:05 AM ^
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February 8th, 2015 at 12:30 PM ^
with door to door salesmen, contractors, etc. I'm not sure how it would apply to signing an LOI. Is that even a contract? I don't believe its terms are legally enforceable. They just have to conform to NCAA rules.
February 8th, 2015 at 7:51 AM ^
I agree with what he says. If I were a coach or parent of a recruit I would also tell my kids to stay off twitter when it gets close to NSD, during and immediately after. This will solve some of issues kids hearing from the arm chair internet critics. I know it's used as a recruiting tool but how important is it really? I think it's nothing but trouble....gives too much access to minors and exposes them to too much.
February 8th, 2015 at 7:43 AM ^
February 8th, 2015 at 10:58 AM ^
February 8th, 2015 at 7:43 AM ^
February 8th, 2015 at 7:54 AM ^
February 8th, 2015 at 8:01 AM ^
February 8th, 2015 at 9:18 AM ^
February 8th, 2015 at 11:02 AM ^
February 8th, 2015 at 2:20 PM ^
just because Mora isn't Harbaugh doesn't mean that he's terrible at developing NFL talent...he probably knows as much as Harbaugh.
February 8th, 2015 at 7:58 AM ^
February 8th, 2015 at 8:24 AM ^
If your smart you will flow those words closely and look out for number 1.
Coaches will come and go. If your recruited you should ask your self of this coach left do I want to be here. Nature of beast it will happen.
Education first; sport second.
February 8th, 2015 at 8:49 AM ^
Good points....
Not sure if anyone else has noticed this, but are kids putting too much emphasis on their relationship with coaches these days as compared to 15-20 years ago?
Maybe because we didn't have social media back then and didn't hear about it as much? Maybe because coaches and assistants stayed around much longer back then than they do now? Or are these kids that starved for some adult attention where they are willing to choose a school they may or may not have normally choosen just because of the coach(es)?
As time goes by, I personally and professionally see more and more kids starving for that adult attention, especially from adult males which are typically the one adult kids are missing in their lives if there is a missing parental role/role model. Sad if recruiting is reflecting this state.
I've also seen the value of education increasingly being thrown to the wayside. College is no longer a valued stepping stone to bettering one's self. The four year undergrad college degree has been devalued quite a bit and unlike the NBA where kids can be recruited right out of high school, college is seen by part of the population as NFL's minor leauge division.
"I didn't come here to play school!" A lot aren't saying it, but most are thinking it....sadly.
February 8th, 2015 at 9:48 AM ^
Yes....we can thank our lovely politicians (both sides of aisle) for the 21st centuary skills push that says "everyone should go to a 4 year college." That's all I'll say on that to keep from getting too political.
Problem is, not everyone wants/needs/can go to a 4 year college. We devalued skilled labor and trades so much and those programs were such a good thing for students who didn't want/need/could go to a 4 year college to major in something they didn't like and be strapped by mounds of debt for a degree they can't/don't use.
February 8th, 2015 at 12:09 PM ^
Thank you all above!
UMchick I agree with your comments 100%. My career now and currently has been in a leadership role in with a global staffing organization and I can say I deal with these points of interest often. Many points you covered are very accurate.
I still stick with my above statement. Select the school that is your true coach who will always take care of you.
If Smith number 1 focus was education he would of signed. UCLA is an awesome school which will surely land him a great job one day. He cares more about his coach and football. Well according to what the media has provided us.
Good luck to the kid and good dialog group!
February 8th, 2015 at 9:34 AM ^
I also disagree that nothing separates us from Alabama, OSU and other schools. They may get sold that the schools are all the same, but they're not.
All I wish is the best of luck to Weber (except against UM). There is no need to tweet recruits. It's stupid and unnecessary.
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February 8th, 2015 at 9:34 AM ^
I think it is inaccurate to apply this generalization to Roquan. He was deciding between UM, UCLA and UGA, all very good undergraduate schools. Based on the quotes that came out of the recruiting profiles and his selection of schools, one could conclude his education was important to him. IIRC he even referenced the long term benefits of the Michigan degree. I also believe that relationships are just as important now as they were in the past. The players spend more time with their coaches than to do with anyone else during their undergraduate years. The coaches significantly affect their development as men in addition to their development as athletes. Who affects this personal and professional transformation should be of utmost importance. I don't believe this has changed very much. Parents sent the sons to play under Bear, Bo, Woody, Bobby and JoPa because of they thought their sons were in good hands. We are just much more aware of the process.
February 8th, 2015 at 8:28 AM ^
Does the LOI state that the University is guaranteeing coaches will stay? Of course not.
You are signing with a SCHOOL.
Has Weber made any indication he wants out of his LOI?
February 8th, 2015 at 10:45 AM ^
February 8th, 2015 at 8:31 AM ^
You know what the coaches sell those kids on? ‘That it’s about the people and the relationships.’ That’s all they sell the kids on. They all say the same things. If you had a recruiter sitting here, he’d say, ‘Our school is just like everybody else, but it’s all about the people and relationships with us.’
Even if in the end your NLI is a contract with the school, the relationship does indeed begin with the people representing it. We saw that process occur and recurr throughout the time Hoke was here - a fair number of recruits remarked specifically on the atmosphere and interactions surrounding the staff and how much they enjoyed that. We've even seen a bit of that already with Harbaugh and his staff.
In the case of players like Weber and Smith, yes, coaches come and go on staffs all the time, but when you fail to tell a recruit that the dpearture of the coach with which they formed this relationship or the coach that may coach their position is imminent, that's not right, in my opinion. A lie of omission is still a lie, but then schools have little incentive to abide by anything resembling "full disclosure" in this regard.
February 8th, 2015 at 8:49 AM ^
February 8th, 2015 at 9:59 AM ^
Money, new Benz for Mom... Its the little things.
February 8th, 2015 at 9:06 AM ^
who have the audacity to denounce the post-Signing Day actions of these kids: Shame on you. Seriously, shame on you. I'd like to believe that perhaps you're just bitter that these kids did not commit to Michigan, but it's also entirely possible you are sociopaths who really enjoy insulting 17 year old children. Do you remember yourself at 17? Do you remember how impressionable you were? Did you ever admire or look up to a teacher or other adult figure at that age? How would you feel if that person got up and left the next day? It's an incredibly difficult episode for any kid to deal with.
Roquan's coach is absolutely right. There's little that separates Michigan, Alabama and their ilk in terms of facilities, prestige, etc. Relationships matter very, very much. If you're too thick headed to understand that, then stop posting here. There's a lot of recruits that visit these sorts of web sites, and I'd rather they not see you as a representation of the University of Michigan fanbase. Grow up.
February 8th, 2015 at 9:58 AM ^
February 8th, 2015 at 9:58 AM ^
Here.... have a 
February 8th, 2015 at 9:13 AM ^
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February 8th, 2015 at 9:20 AM ^
February 8th, 2015 at 9:28 AM ^
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February 8th, 2015 at 9:59 AM ^
February 8th, 2015 at 10:02 AM ^
February 8th, 2015 at 11:51 AM ^
February 8th, 2015 at 9:26 AM ^
I agree with you, but that's basically the whole internet. The phrase "don't read the comments" exists for a reason.
February 8th, 2015 at 9:54 AM ^
I agree and sadly kids don't adhere to that nor do their parents often monitor everything they're doing or seeing.
I am a huge proponent of restricting the internet usage of minors although policing that is a huge issue and could cause other issues. I think twitter should be done away with as a recruiting tool, period.
February 8th, 2015 at 9:17 AM ^
February 8th, 2015 at 9:32 AM ^
The only thing these coaches/people in charge will understand is consequences. When the Cass Techs of the world start refusing to let coaches recruit at their schools (and even spread the word to an entire region), then things like this might (MIGHT) stop happening. A total shun probably won't happen though, because high school coaches would then be denying their players a chance to play for a big-time program.
February 8th, 2015 at 9:47 AM ^
I have read through this and other posts on this matter. It seems almost everyone sees a problem, but the solutions are quite varied. I have seen it suggested a disclosure clause for coaches, limit social media some way , possibly monitor the interactions of coaches and recruits, and possibly allow recruits to hire professional guidance. Not sure what the answer is but it seems it all comes down to the integrity of the coach. The best way to gauge that is the coaches past history and if he handles recruits with trust and respect. Of course that can change in a heartbeat with a lucrative job offer. Is there really any solution to this? Are these kids just fodder for some of these coaches career advancements?
February 8th, 2015 at 10:00 AM ^
if the coaches in question really had the player's best interest at heart as most claim they do then concealed information would not be a factor at all. Tell the player youre leaving and continue to recruit them based on the school, the other players in the class and the remaining staff. In both the case of UCLA and OSU these coaches demonstrated loyalty to their bosses rather than the players they were recruiting and they were caught in their deception. Yes it's a business, yes coaches move on, but concern for the player was completely abandoned or disregarded in both these cases.
February 8th, 2015 at 10:00 AM ^
if the coaches in question really had the player's best interest at heart as most claim they do then concealed information would not be a factor at all. Tell the player youre leaving and continue to recruit them based on the school, the other players in the class and the remaining staff. In both the case of UCLA and OSU these coaches demonstrated loyalty to their bosses rather than the players they were recruiting and they were caught in their deception. Yes it's a business, yes coaches move on, but concern for the player was completely abandoned or disregarded in both these cases.
February 8th, 2015 at 12:09 PM ^
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February 8th, 2015 at 10:04 AM ^
February 8th, 2015 at 10:07 AM ^
The answer is to commit to the school and not the coaches knowing full well the dynamic nature of football coaches. It is very typical that a school you commit to today will not have the same position coaches by the time you are a senior.
At the same time I don't fault the coaches for looking at better opportunities. They have families to support as well. As much as I hate Alford going to OSU he knew his opportunities were limited at ND.
In the end I hope more kids start to realize that the school matters more than the coach since the majority of them will not be playing football on Sundays. I am sure a degree from Alabama is just fine. Not as fine as Michigan or ND however. Signing on to Alabama means you are now open to all the crap that goes with it. Oversigning, mysterious cuts due to mysterious injuries, grey shirting and it goes on. Signing on to Michigan or ND means that you might not win a NC but you will compete at the highest level and in 4 years (or less) come out with an exceptional degree. And believe it or not, Michigan and ND pump out some pretty decent NFL talent.
February 8th, 2015 at 10:59 AM ^
February 8th, 2015 at 11:44 AM ^
Oh no I get it, don't get me wrong. But that coach could very well be gone the day after NSD. Your commit should be to a school in which you believe will make you fundamentally sound in the part of a human being. The difference between UM and ND, as you you used as an example, is the little things.