College Recruiting And The New Technology

I must confess that I do not know how much technology is used by FSU in the football recruiting process. I am pretty sure however that Bobby Bowden does not bother with those "new fangled" gadgets like a Blackberry and/or text messaging.

Universities and coaches are adapting to the new changes in technology. Some universities and coaches are utilizing technology to their full advantage. Schools like Georgia Tech have even created a web site for their football recruits that are like video games with all the bells and whistles.

Coaches like former Gator and now Illinois head coach Ron Zook utilize technology like text messaging to the extreme. Zook sent more than 95 million kilobytes of text messages from his BlackBerry since the contact period began Nov. 26. Zook and Florida's Urban Meyer are known as the masters of text messaging.

This new form of technology has impacted coaches as well as athletes. Auburn defensive line coach Don Dunn, 53, said it's been a challenge to learn the new technology. He's used an older phone, but will get a Blackberry soon.

"It will take me five years to learn how to use that," Dunn joked. "I'm not a big phone guy. I'm still old-fashioned. I like to write a hand-written note or thank-you note."

Text messaging is a relatively new phenomenon. Darryl Richard, who signed with Georgia Tech in 2004, said only a few recruiters sent him electronic messages. But now it’s widely seen as out of control, not just by prospects but by the coaches who recruit them.

The NCAA has limits on the number of phone calls that can be made to recruits but that does not apply to text messages. The NCAA allows one phone call a week from college coaches to high school seniors. It has no rule regarding the number of text messages a recruit can receive.

Thus, more football and basketball coaches are text messaging recruits. Coaches still send letters and make phone calls, but some say the short messages transmitted from a cell phone or handheld device are more effective than traditional recruiting tools in communicating with prized prospects."It's an instant letter or note to a recruit," said Peterson, the recruiting coordinator for the Buckeyes. "As prevalent as cell phones and text messages are, it's a tool that is definitely being used across the country."

Antwane Greenlee who signed with the Noles in February was excited when he received his first text message from the Mississippi State coaching staff during recruiting season. However, it quickly lost its luster.

The Hardaway, Georgia offensive tackle started receiving more and more text messages. By month's end, the 6-foot-6, 310-pounder had received about 500 text messages from various colleges.And then last spring, Greenlee saw his phone bill.

"It was a lot of fun to receive them," he said. "Then I got my phone bill and it was over by $34 just for text messages and it wasn't as fun." Having experienced the hundreds of messages from coaches, Greenlee has tried to warn some of his younger players. "I told them to change their plan to unlimited," he said. "I also tell them to look for the plan that allows for free text messages."

It's taken some adjustment for coaches, who haven't grown up with the technology like the teenagers they're recruiting. Some have adapted quickly, while others are still learning. As with all new technology, sooner or later even the most stubborn of coaches will have to adapt.