It has been along time since I posted and although I still bleed green and gold, I only get to a game or so a year. Therefore, I don't feel qualified to comment on the performance of our football team. However this post is about recruiting.
Out son played for the Tribe in the mid 90s and was a significant contributor. Our high school has an excellent football program and had three significant contributors recruited by the Tribe between the late 1980s and late 90s. I do follow our high school program and felt that they had a few players that might have been potential Tribe recruits during the past 10 years. This year they had a very good running who committed to a CAA team. Being on very good terms with our coach, I stopped by the school to talk. I asked him if the running back was Tribe potential. Answer, talent yes, academics no. Then I asked if the Tribe area recruiter had inquired about the running back. His answer, which disturbed me was; "I haven't been contacted by a W&M area recruiter in over 8 years." WOW. His next statement was, "I am not contacting them if they show no interest in my program and kids." WOW again. During the time he has not been contacted by W&M, he has had 4 players recruited to low 1A and 1AA programs. He felt two of the players were W&M potentials.
After our conversation, I reviewed a Tribe roster from the mid 90s vs. the 2017 roster. Results, twice as many players from what I would define as the recruitment area of our high school on the mid 90s roster as there were on the 2017 roster.
What does my conversation with our high school coach mean to the future of Tribe football? I have my opinions and they are not positive. You can draw your own.
PS: I never thought I would see a year when the Tribe went winless in conference!

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Impossible to comment on this post in a meaningful way without knowing the high school, the area, and the recruits we supposedly missed. I will say that it is up to a high school coach to reach out to colleges he believes his players may be candidates for, and to provide a connection for his players. Collegiate staffs are inundated with suggestions for potential recruits, and must trust the source before assigning scarce resources.

This is the first time I've heard negative feedback about our staff's relationship with a high school coach. On the other side I have heard many positive comments about staff relationships with other high schools.

What I've seen from a very strong high school program in my area (Loudoun County) is that coaches build relationships with college recruiters and when the fit is there a pipeline of talent moves to that college. High school coaches have limited time and if they aren't trying to push players to college recruiters, the college recruiters may not know about the school and program.

There is no chance on this earth that every college can build a relationship with every high school. My guess is that your situation is simply that at one point there was a good connection with William and Mary and that connection dried up.

Goes back to what I always say - if it's a concern, send a note to our coaching staff, preferably after National Signing Day when they may have a little more time. We can't answer your question.

I agree with SF's point about it being the HS coach's responsibility to contact potential colleges on behalf of the student-athlete. Digging in and refusing to help because he feels slighted is just stubborn. Our current roster has kids from all over Virginia so I can't image our staff has bypassed your area for 20 years.

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As SF said, hard to comment on this post without knowing any specifics. This could be some small school in S.Carolina where we had a pipeline for a few years but dried up now for all we know.

4 players going to low 1A or 1AA (They call it FBS and FCS now..) in 8 years does not exactly make that a top notch program on everyone’s radar that we are missing out on.

As far as running backs go..I’d say our staff has been excelling at recruiting those recently.

Also, that HS coach is doing his kids a disservice if he believes they are of caliber yet not helping to get their name out there simply because our coaches have not found the kids themselves yet.

(12-14-2017 08:38 PM)Tribe32 Wrote:  What I've seen from a very strong high school program in my area (Loudoun County) is that coaches build relationships with college recruiters and when the fit is there a pipeline of talent moves to that college. High school coaches have limited time and if they aren't trying to push players to college recruiters, the college recruiters may not know about the school and program.

There is no chance on this earth that every college can build a relationship with every high school. My guess is that your situation is simply that at one point there was a good connection with William and Mary and that connection dried up.

To Tribe4SF: Hi Sandy. I disagree that a coach at a very successful high school football program is obligated to promote players to a school that has shown no interest in his program or players for an extended amount of time, when schools with similar qualifications to that of W&M are contacting him on a regular basis. You want to know the area? One of the recruits will be inducted into the W&M athletic HF this year. I am sure you are connected enough to figure out the high school and area. If you and our fan base feel that an area recruiter is so "inundated " that he doesn't have time to pickup a phone once a year and have a few minute conversation with a coach of a successful high school program who has provided W&M with 3 quality recruits over a period of 10 years, then maybe our fan base has become complacent.
To Tribe 32: As I said, W&M was very familiar with the coach and program. See above: One soon to be inductee into W&M HF and maybe another in the future (a proud Tribe parent). The coach had a good working relationship with W&M when he coached in VA and where he is coaching now (Sandy will figure where). You are correct, at one point the relationship between our high school coach and W&M was very good and the connection did dry up due to W&M recruiters being so "inundated" and I guess over worked. This years results sure showed it.
One last take from reading some of the post season posts talking about hoping to have easier in conference schedules in the future. Our fan base has really sunk this low?
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Whew, glad we finally pinned down the cause of our poor record this season.

Yikes...I don't even know where to begin with that logic.

I brought this issue up because it was a first hand factual situation which concerned me. I am actually pleased that Tribe supporters who are much closer to the football program than I am do not seem that concerned. As a loyal Tribe fan, I truly hope that the 2017 football season was an anomaly never to be experienced again.
Last comment: A lot of smaller ponds hold some very big fish, but they ain't never caught by the fishermen who drive by them to fish the large lakes.
Wishing all Tribe fans a blessed Christmas and a healthy New Year
GO TRIBE

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Wartribe-

No one here accepts what happened this year at all. It was a pretty rough year here with some posters concerned from Day One - the UVa game. That lead to some harsh exchanges during the whole year, due to the fact that this year was unacceptable.

From my seat in the cheap seats, talent has not been an issue. So, your post does not sound alarm bells with me. Now, if you were to say that the high school coach said something about a certain person's age, and that was having an effect on recruiting, that's the canary in the coal mine.

The QB position, and the offense in general, has just been ... ugh. That's the issue.

I trust that you called W&M about the RB ... that's what I did when I saw a talented high school player that I thought was a fit.

I trust that you called the football office, and told them about the h.s. coach's comments ... that's what I would do.

Over the years I have contacted the W&M football recruiting coordinator by email about a few players, not only from our school, but from other schools in our area as well as schools in the area of our shore home. I always received an appropriate response back but has no idea what transpired after. Maybe I should be more diligent.
I do think I am still on good enough terms with coach Laycock that he would listen to my concern and I intend to contact him some time after signing day.

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Thumbs up!

Great! Thank you for taking action.