Hiring a Recruit's dad

[BD80]

The issue is cropping up again with 2012 Tx PG John Reese.

Interesting take from Parrish:

http://www.cbssports.com/#!/collegebasketball/story/15213160/in-a-players-game-hiring-a-dad-to-land-star-recruit-is-a-smart-move

Didn't the NCAA institute a prohibition against hiring persons with a connection to a recriuit?

[SCMatt33]

The NCAA rule only prohibits schools from hiring connected persons in non-coaching positions. John Reese is looking to become a full-blown assistant. In the past, many programs would create a new non-coaching position just to "hire" a player's parent/handler/coach. For example, instead of hiring John Reese as an assistant, they would hire him as the Director or Dirty Socks but still pay him like a full time assistant. Since he would have little tangible role in the program other than mentoring his son, it would have no effect on anything else. Essentially, it was a technically legitimate form of the Cam Newton situation, but since the father was "hired" instead of "paid," the NCAA couldn't do anything.

The next question is why is the loophole left open for an assistant coach. The reason is that the NCAA regulates how many assistants a team can have (3), and they are the only ones who can run practices, recruit off campus, coach during games, and many more important duties. If a team wants to hire the father of a high-end four star recruit (not even five star recruit according to ESPN, Scout, and Rivals) for a position that important, they won't try to stop it. In all honesty, I think that for a respectable high-major program, this is a big stretch. This guy has apparently been looking to break into the college level unsuccessfully for a while, and I must imagine that there was a good reason for that.

If I were a fan of any of the programs listed, I'm not sure that I would be happy with hiring a guy of questionable qualifications to get a very good, but not great, recruit who is so high maintenance that he needs his Dad as an assistant.

[MartyClark]

The NCAA rule only prohibits schools from hiring connected persons in non-coaching positions. John Reese is looking to become a full-blown assistant. In the past, many programs would create a new non-coaching position just to "hire" a player's parent/handler/coach. For example, instead of hiring John Reese as an assistant, they would hire him as the Director or Dirty Socks but still pay him like a full time assistant. Since he would have little tangible role in the program other than mentoring his son, it would have no effect on anything else. Essentially, it was a technically legitimate form of the Cam Newton situation, but since the father was "hired" instead of "paid," the NCAA couldn't do anything.

The next question is why is the loophole left open for an assistant coach. The reason is that the NCAA regulates how many assistants a team can have (3), and they are the only ones who can run practices, recruit off campus, coach during games, and many more important duties. If a team wants to hire the father of a high-end four star recruit (not even five star recruit according to ESPN, Scout, and Rivals) for a position that important, they won't try to stop it. In all honesty, I think that for a respectable high-major program, this is a big stretch. This guy has apparently been looking to break into the college level unsuccessfully for a while, and I must imagine that there was a good reason for that.

If I were a fan of any of the programs listed, I'm not sure that I would be happy with hiring a guy of questionable qualifications to get a very good, but not great, recruit who is so high maintenance that he needs his Dad as an assistant.

Good explanation. It may be within the rules but it still feels slimy.

[BD80]

Good explanation. It may be within the rules but it still feels slimy.

Parrish cites 3 examples, but I seem to recall there were at least a couple of others:


Larry Brown ... hiring Ed Manning to get Danny Manning? (He won a national title because of it.) ... Bill Self ... hiring Ronnie Chalmers to get Mario Chalmers? (He won a national title because of it.) ... John Calipari ... hiring Milt Wagner ... to get Dajuan Wagner? ...

Wasn't Beasley part of some package at KSU? I also think I recall something like this happening at UF.

Thing is, how long do these "coaches" last after their kids leave?

Ed Manning, who passed in March, followed his son and Coach Larry Brown to San Anotonio - just ahead of the sanctions that hit Kansas because of Brown's recruiting violations.

Mario and Ronnie Chalmers ("Director of Basketball Operations") each lasted 3 years at KU.

Milt appears to have actually become a coach, spending 6 years as Coordinator of Basketball Operations at Memphis before following Tigers Assistant Coach Tony Barbee to UTEP and now Auburn for the past 5 years.

[sporthenry]

Parrish cites 3 examples, but I seem to recall there were at least a couple of others:



Wasn't Beasley part of some package at KSU? I also think I recall something like this happening at UF.

Thing is, how long do these "coaches" last after their kids leave?

Ed Manning, who passed in March, followed his son and Coach Larry Brown to San Anotonio - just ahead of the sanctions that hit Kansas because of Brown's recruiting violations.

Mario and Ronnie Chalmers ("Director of Basketball Operations") each lasted 3 years at KU.

Milt appears to have actually become a coach, spending 6 years as Coordinator of Basketball Operations at Memphis before following Tigers Assistant Coach Tony Barbee to UTEP and now Auburn for the past 5 years.

Well at least 2 of them were hired as DBO's which is no longer allowed. So the NCAA did get rid of that occurring. I don't think you'll ever see this become a huge problem at least at the major programs b/c they have great assistants already and losing an assistant position for 3-4 years will hurt their program more than one player would help. In addition many top schools already have their assistant coaches set and only from time to time will you see turnover with Asst. Coaches. It is an issue with smaller programs or programs with new coaches but it isn't a sustainable practice b/c there are only 3 assistant coaches per team and it just isn't a sustainable practice.

[darjum]

The issue is cropping up again with 2012 Tx PG John Reese.

Interesting take from Parrish:

http://www.cbssports.com/#!/collegebasketball/story/15213160/in-a-players-game-hiring-a-dad-to-land-star-recruit-is-a-smart-move

Didn't the NCAA institute a prohibition against hiring persons with a connection to a recriuit?

If the aforementioned father does indeed posses the skills to do the job then that's one thing, but it does 'feel' like a desperate move. LSU has struggled somewhat since 2006 (the tournament game played on the 23rd March 2006 still doesn't sit well with me, I really thought Duke was going to win that game :(). Trent had one winning season in 08-09, 2nd round of the NCAA's (or is that the 3rd round now, so silly), and the last two seasons has compiled a 22-40 record. Therefore I can understand hiring a talented basketball players father, but it still does seem a bit desperate. Just my thoughts.

[AtlBluRew]

IMO, these hirings aren't all that different from Cam Newton's father shopping his son around for cash. Neither should be allowed.

[wilko]

So I guess Press Maravich never should have bought Pete a car and enrolled him in LSU?

Its one thing if a recruits dad has a bottle in his hand, sleeping on a park bench and asking for a job, vs having a parent who is comparatively more qualified and interested in being a part of organized Basketball.

Im not saying its a danger free route.... a lot would depend on personalities, philosophy, the opportunity at hand..... I would be cautious, but wouldnt TOTALLY dismiss it.

[BD80]

So I guess Press Maravich never should have bought Pete a car and enrolled him in LSU?

Its one thing if a recruits dad has a bottle in his hand, sleeping on a park bench and asking for a job, vs having a parent who is comparatively more qualified and interested in being a part of organized Basketball.

Im not saying its a danger free route.... a lot would depend on personalities, philosophy, the opportunity at hand..... I would be cautious, but wouldnt TOTALLY dismiss it.

If Austin's dad asks to join the staff for a year, we should probably consider it ...

[wilko]

If Austin's dad asks to join the staff for a year, we should probably consider it ...

BINGO!
I would think that this would a conversation worth having by the interested parties to explore.... but then there are those who would say Doc isn't tall enough to be an effective coach for our Bigs anyway.. so what can you do?