CSNbbs

Full Version: New Cincy Coach Revokes All Verbals
You're currently viewing a stripped down version of our content. View the full version with proper formatting.
BEARCATS REVOKE ALL
By Dave Berk
Date: Jan 14, 2004

With the hiring of a new coach, UC said its football program was headed in the right direction. After seeing what they did with the young men who had given verbal commitments, I'm thinking maybe its not.


Twist in recruiting happen often. Many times young athletes get caught up in the recruiting process and change their minds once or twice before settling on the school they sign with. As most know, The University of Cincinnati hired a new football coach in December.

Mark Dantonio came from one of the biggest football programs in the country. As the head of the Buckeyes defense, Coach Dantonio helped the Buckeyes win a National Title in 2002. All that is in the past now that Coach Dantonio is the head man at Cincinnati.

On Friday , UC saw several of their 2004 recruiting class come for their visits. Since the day Coach Minter had been fired, the university stayed in contact with the young men who gave early commitments. During these contacts, the student-athletes were told everything was fine and their offers would be honored. Several of these players saw other colleges call when news got out about Coach Minters release. Each trying to sway the athletes verbal commitment and give them a chance to visit another school.

Three of these players are home grown talent. Each living within an hour of the UC campus, and dreaming of being a Bearcat. Evan Spanogians of Lakota West High School and Jeff Browning of Harrison High School were two of the athletes at UC this past weekend on official visits. Jamar Harris of Northmont is another area recruit that was effected by the happenings on Sunday. While Jamar wasn't at UC this weekend, it turned out better that he wasn't, as UC saw its 2004 recruiting class become 0.

Having arrived Friday evening with plans through Sunday, each family that was at the visit, found things the way they wanted. Having a great time is part of taking a visit, when its the school your committed too, its time to start feeling like you belong. You will soon meet teammates to be, see the school inside and out, and eat some great food. On Sunday, its time to say good-bye and start getting ready for the change in ones life. The only problem for this group was on Sunday. With things winding down and everyone feeling good, the hammer came down on how much of a business college football really is.

One-by-One, Coach Dantonio spoke with the families. Each saw Coach Dantonio inform them they were not considered UC commitments. That he had chosen to revoke all scholarship offers, and commitments, and start the recruiting process all over again. Each athlete was told that he may still be offered, but that they wanted him to pick UC on the basis of the new staff, and not from the previous staff. He also spoke about the former staff having sent out offers and the university didn't know how many were sent out, and who had given verbal commitments. His statement was that he also wanted his new staff to have a say about the players they were bringing in.

While I have seen kids change their minds, and a few coaches change their minds on a single player, I have never seen a coach revoke all offers and commitments. Its a step most coaches don't have enough guts to make, because it could mean a very poor or low number recruiting class. It also puts all of the recruits back on the open market looking for homes. If this was December, few problems would arise with players finding other offers. But with National Signing Day only three weeks away, these kids are going to have problems in finding homes that they want. In this stage of the game, many colleges have the class set, or are looking for that last big commitment. They have stopped recruiting these kids and gone elsewhere to find a player they need.

In looking at how I should write about what Coach Dantonio did, I felt it was best to try and get both sides of the story. I placed a phone call to UC Athletics Director Bob Goin on Tuesday morning. At the time I called, Mr. Goin was out to lunch, but he never returned my call the rest of the day. As of Wednesday morning, the only response I received from the university, was from Tom Hathaway, the Assistant AD/Media Relations. His response was the following. "I will check with Coach Dantonio regarding your request."

I also called the three High School coaches for the above recruits. I first spoke with Lakota West HC, Larry Cox. Coach Cox said that UC had a coach in the school on Monday, and that it looked real good that Evan was a player they want to have. He said he understands what Coach Dantonio is trying to do, but felt the timing was terrible. He also said that Evan and his family were hurt by the happenings of this event and that he's gone back to work contacting schools on Evan's behalf. Coach Cox stated schools like Georgia Tech and a few others had very high interest in Evan, and it would only be a matter of time before things get worked out.

When I asked what UC had to say, he replied that Coach Dantonio wanted the players to feel they were recruited by the new staff. This way the kids would know what to expect from the men who would be their coaches, and what was expected of them.

Next I spoke with Clayton Northmont HC Lance Schneider. Coach Schneider was also in the same position that I found Coach Cox in. Trying to explain why UC revoked the scholarship offer to a kid who really wanted to be a Bearcat. Coach Schneider also said his phone and office has been busy with schools like Akron, Ball State and many others calling about Jamar. Coach Schneider said that UC has asked for film and told him they didn't even know that Jamar was offered or had given a verbal. Coach Schneider said that he was sending film along with a copy of the offer letter ASAP. He also said that one of the biggest mistakes UC had made over the years, was the lack of local talent. Coach Schneider stated " I felt they were really doing a better job with the class from last year and the kids they had received verbal commitments from this year. I don't know if it will, but it could hurt their recruiting in the future at some local schools."

The last coach I spoke with was Harrison HC Dick Nocks. Coach Nocks first stated that the Browning family was very hurt with the events that took place. That Jeff had been recruited by many schools in the spring and after taking several visits he picked UC over several larger programs. Coach Nocks told me, " I had closed the book on Jeff's recruiting, now I had to reopened it. I have been contacting schools as well as seeing several schools call about getting Jeff. UC has said they are very interested in Jeff, and I know Jeff really loves the idea of playing close to home, but, with what has happened I'm not sure what direction this thing will take. I have never seen anything like it before."

I would like to thank each coach for their time, I know that while I was speaking with each, other college coaches were at the school or calling on the phone. Each of these young men will learn from this experience and grow. While I know each one of them wanted to be Bearcats, I don't know if the hurt will subside if UC makes an offer again. The one thing that each of these young men have shown is trust. They gave early commitments to the University, and stayed committed with the coaching change. They did what we tell all recruits, don't pick a school because of its coach, pick the school that you feel you would attend even if you didn't play football. These young men did this, and stayed committed, the university showed these young men that college football is a big time business first, and the well fair of the student athlete is second.

While I understand what Coach Dantonio is trying to do, you don't do it with recruits that have come for their official visit and who have given the university a commitment. Coach Dantonio should have made such choices in December, instead of helping Ohio State with a Fiesta Bowl win. That way each of these young men and their families would have had the chance to reopen recruiting. If this was done, each family would have been able to visit other schools and be given the chance to relax about the final weeks of recruiting. Instead, each of these families are running around and wondering what to do next. I can say that thanks to the work of their high school coaches, these young men will have a home. If they end up at another school, its UC's loss this year and in the years to come.
Wow, it is awfully close to signing day to be starting your whole recruiting process from scratch.
"well fair"?
This is one of the most boneheaded moves I have ever seen. I could understand if there were one or two recruits he didn't want but the whole class? Not only will these kids have serious second thoughts about playing for someone who would do that, so will others who haven't committed. Loyalty is not a one way street.
Me thinks there is more going on with past UC recruiting tactics and the new coach is not going to go on the same path.

Especially if there is some major recruting violations going on.

Just my opinion.
Have you ever seen UC's teams? If they're committing recruiting violations, they certainly aren't reaping the benefits on the field... 03-wink

The kids from the Cincinnati area that the author wrote about are not blue chippers. UC was recruiting against the likes Akron and Ball State -- which was probably realistic for Minter's staff, and for UC as a whole. UC is a mid-level MAC school in ConUSA, and soon to be ConDOA. Dantonio obviously thinks he can do better...and isn't willing to piss off a bunch of players, parents, and coaches to do it.

If anything, UC probably wasn't committing enough recruiting violations for his tastes. At least not compared to what tOAMU could do for their recruits. 03-wink
MAKO Wrote:This is one of the most boneheaded moves I have ever seen. I could understand if there were one or two recruits he didn't want but the whole class? Not only will these kids have serious second thoughts about playing for someone who would do that, so will others who haven't committed. Loyalty is not a one way street.
I agree MAKO....this is unreal. UC is gonna suffer big time for this. How stupid can ya be????

GO FALCONS!
That sounds like the most logical reason. Some sort of recruiting "inconsistincies", and rather than take the time to figure out if each guy was recruited squarely, they just wiped the slate clean. I mean, it sounds like they had guys that nobody at UC knew had even made commitments except for Minter's crew. Definitely weird.
I smell recruiting violations as well. Dantonio would not jettison a whole class and start his tenure on a rocky PR move like this unless the program faced serious problems !! And Minter has had dirty hands for awhile .
I certainly wouldn't put it past minter to have dirty hands, but if he was going to cheat, you would think that he would have actually cheated to win, not to attain mediocrity...

Then again, he did have to live up to Huggins' standards...
RedSteve Wrote:I certainly wouldn't put it past minter to have dirty hands, but if he was going to cheat, you would think that he would have actually cheated to win, not to attain mediocrity...
Dude, we are talking about Cincinnati football here.
Youwould have to think there's some violations or other unusual circumstances at play here. UC had a number of verbals from local kids. Only an idiot would needlessly step on the dicks of the local HS coaching community so early in his tenure.
Reference URL's