Urban Meyer Explains Why Modern Recruiting is Easier
Former Florida football coach Urban Meyer joined Sportscene with Steve Russell on Tuesday to discuss the changing state of college football, ranging from recruiting to how the SEC and Big Ten compare.
The long-time radio host first discussed with Meyer whether there is more pressure at the Power Four level than when he was coaching a decade ago. Meyer outlined how there are a lot more people involved when making decisions, specifically around teams’ rosters. When he was coaching at Florida, he met with only one person to discuss things.
Amid the changing environment, Meyer highlighted the Indiana Hoosiers, led by coach Curt Cignetti, as one of the best examples of how to manage a modern program.“Curt Cignetti has taken them to great heights in a short amount of time,” said Meyer.
Loading ...When he travels to Indiana for Big Noon Kickoff, the stadium is much more full than in the past, the players are executing and Cignetti’s coaches are positioning everyone well.
Russell then brought up the rise of betting in college sports and asked Meyer if he would have been concerned about it as a coach.
“Oh my gosh, yes. I was concerned back in the day,” Meyer said. “We had people come in and talk to our players about it. And I think there is more to come.”
While coaching in college football is much different than before, Meyer believes one thing is sure: recruiting is easier.
“The days of recruiting used to be labor intensive,” he said. “You had to start recruiting them when they were sophomores and you started writing letters, meeting the assistant principal and strength coach. I would make 10 calls a day.”
But recruiting is no longer like that. You offer a player a price, and they accept or deny. What schools are willing to pay dictates how well they will compete.
Meyer also added that there is nothing like the SEC, despite the Big Ten winning the last two national championships. The Southeast greater in depth than up north.
Meyer also recently appeared on the Triple Option podcast with Mark Ingram ll and Rob Stone, where they discuss college football, the NFL and locker room culture. Why?
“It keeps your nose in the game a little bit,” he said.
Category: College Football, Gators Football
