B.B.B
Oh wait.....
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2015
- Messages
- 869
I have to admit I laugh every time I hear that Miami is a “bad” job.
I would agree that Miami is not USC or Georgia. The Hurricanes don’t have the resources or facilities of many major-college powers. They struggle to fill — or even half-fill — their off-campus stadium. I get all that.
Still, it’s all about the “Jimmys” and “Joes,” and nowhere in this country are there more football recruits than in the counties that make up south Florida – Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach.
Between 2007 and 2014, the Sunshine State produced an average of 333 Division I recruits each year, with roughly 40 percent of those prospects coming from those three counties. And they are no ordinary football players. From 2012-14, 57 players were drafted into the NFL from Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties alone, roughly 7.5 percent of all draft picks in that three-year span. Again, 7.5 percent of all the players drafted were from those three counties. There is a ridiculous amount of talent in south Florida.
So how can Miami be a “bad” job with all that talent in its backyard?
We are about to find out what a new coach can do with the Hurricanes after reports surfaced Wednesday that Mark Richt would be UM’s new coach.
At Georgia, Richt annually pulled in some of the best recruiting classes in the country. He battled every power that invaded the Peach State — whether it was Alabama, Auburn, Florida or Ohio State — and won more than he lost. There never was a talent issue at Georgia. There shouldn’t be at Miami, either.
Expectations at UM, whether warranted or not, are rings and championships. This is a demanding fan base; the school won five national titles in an 18-year period, and the fans want more.
Richt always has surrounded himself with top-flight recruiters, and there is no reason to believe he won’t do the same with the Hurricanes. Richt’s also a very good closer; Richt learned from the master, Bobby Bowden, when he was an assistant at FSU.
Despite having home-field advantage, recruiting isn’t always easy at Miami. Ask Larry Coker, Randy Shannon and Al Golden. A major reason they didn’t succeed in Coral Gables was they let too many superior football recruits get away. It’s that simple. Every program in the nation hits those three counties with a vengeance. While at Georgia, Richt has proved he could spot-recruit south Florida and come out with winners, such as running back Sony Michel and defensive lineman Geno Atkins.
Richt will knock it out of the park with recruiting at Miami. Now, I am not predicting a dynasty. What I am saying is that Richt is the guy who should make the Hurricanes nationally relevant again (UM has lost at least four games 10 seasons in a row — including six seasons with at least six losses — and those types of programs are not nationally relevant).
He and his staff will build up the UM roster, and they will start by focusing on keeping players in Miami’s backyard at home.
It’s always about the players.
Mark Richt should be superb recruiter at Miami
I would agree that Miami is not USC or Georgia. The Hurricanes don’t have the resources or facilities of many major-college powers. They struggle to fill — or even half-fill — their off-campus stadium. I get all that.
Still, it’s all about the “Jimmys” and “Joes,” and nowhere in this country are there more football recruits than in the counties that make up south Florida – Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach.
Between 2007 and 2014, the Sunshine State produced an average of 333 Division I recruits each year, with roughly 40 percent of those prospects coming from those three counties. And they are no ordinary football players. From 2012-14, 57 players were drafted into the NFL from Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties alone, roughly 7.5 percent of all draft picks in that three-year span. Again, 7.5 percent of all the players drafted were from those three counties. There is a ridiculous amount of talent in south Florida.
So how can Miami be a “bad” job with all that talent in its backyard?
We are about to find out what a new coach can do with the Hurricanes after reports surfaced Wednesday that Mark Richt would be UM’s new coach.
At Georgia, Richt annually pulled in some of the best recruiting classes in the country. He battled every power that invaded the Peach State — whether it was Alabama, Auburn, Florida or Ohio State — and won more than he lost. There never was a talent issue at Georgia. There shouldn’t be at Miami, either.
Expectations at UM, whether warranted or not, are rings and championships. This is a demanding fan base; the school won five national titles in an 18-year period, and the fans want more.
Richt always has surrounded himself with top-flight recruiters, and there is no reason to believe he won’t do the same with the Hurricanes. Richt’s also a very good closer; Richt learned from the master, Bobby Bowden, when he was an assistant at FSU.
Despite having home-field advantage, recruiting isn’t always easy at Miami. Ask Larry Coker, Randy Shannon and Al Golden. A major reason they didn’t succeed in Coral Gables was they let too many superior football recruits get away. It’s that simple. Every program in the nation hits those three counties with a vengeance. While at Georgia, Richt has proved he could spot-recruit south Florida and come out with winners, such as running back Sony Michel and defensive lineman Geno Atkins.
Richt will knock it out of the park with recruiting at Miami. Now, I am not predicting a dynasty. What I am saying is that Richt is the guy who should make the Hurricanes nationally relevant again (UM has lost at least four games 10 seasons in a row — including six seasons with at least six losses — and those types of programs are not nationally relevant).
He and his staff will build up the UM roster, and they will start by focusing on keeping players in Miami’s backyard at home.
It’s always about the players.
Mark Richt should be superb recruiter at Miami
