May 15, 2008

Today TarHeelBlue.com begins a series of offseason football updates. Check back on Monday for a story on current trends in college football and how the Tar Heels plan to adapt to some of them. More with Coach Davis can be found in the summer issues of Tar Heel Monthly.

By Adam Lucas

Carolina football coaches are out on the road this week, spanning the southeast to visit high schools and lay the groundwork for the next recruiting class.

But while his assistants are meeting high school coaches (and meeting Carolina fans as part of the Rams Club's Meet and Greet series) in key recruiting areas, Butch Davis remains tethered to his desk by a new NCAA rule.

In January, college football's governing body passed a new restriction forbidding head coaches from visiting high school campuses during the spring evaluation period, which runs through May 31. Under the previous rules, head coaches were allowed on campus and could observe spring practice, but could not speak directly to prospects.

The reasons for the new rule depend on who you ask--some say it was made necessary by certain individuals walking on the fine line of what was permissible in the spring evaluation period, while others say the hectic lives of head coaches needed a required sabbatical from life on the road.

No matter what the reason for its creation, Davis--who has already written a letter to ACC commissioner John Swofford outlining his position--is not a fan of the rule.

"I'm very disappointed in the new ruling," the head coach says. "I like the idea of talking to guidance counselors and principals and getting a feeling for what kind of kid we're really recruiting. Now we have to build those relationships through correspondence and camp."

Colorado coach Dan Hawkins echoed Davis's concerns in a recent ESPN story. "I enjoy going out, seeing coaches, watching kids participate and going to the schools," Hawkins said. "I understand some of the ramifications behind the ruling. But it's hard when you can't basically do your job."

The rule unintentionally benefits veteran, established coaches with a long tenure at a powerhouse school. After all, Bobby Bowden or Joe Paterno don't need to be seen at area schools for prospects to recognize their stature. But for Davis, who is still trying to build a rapport with the state's prep coaches, sitting home while his assistants are on the road is a difficult task.

Ironically, the implementation of the new rule comes at a time when the Tar Heels are having a very productive start to the 2009 recruiting season. Early commitments have been fruitful, and Davis attributes part of that success to relationships that were built during the spring evaluation period of 2007.

"Our assistants have been on the scene for a year and a half and have been able to build relationships and develop a better understanding of the schools in North Carolina and the surrounding area," Davis says. "We were able to get kids in our camp, which was very important to the 2008 class and even moreso to the 2009 class.

"It helps that now players have had a chance to watch us play as a football team. They have a visual picture of what we do. We can take cut-ups (of game film) and show them T.J. throwing passes and the types of routes our receivers run. We can show them what Marvin Austin does on the defensive line. All of those things have significantly helped our recruiting for 2009."

But the NCAA trend is to limit the type of contact that can help build relationships for future classes. A year ago, text messages were outlawed. Now, head coaches must stay off high school campuses. To make sure all parties to the recruiting process are educated about the new rules, the UNC program sent a letter to coaches and prospects explaining that the NCAA would not allow head coaches to make on-campus visits this spring.

Of course, the new rules simply create another opportunity for programs to show their inventiveness. Some schools have already begun using web cams for prospects and head coaches to interact.

Carolina hasn't gone to that extreme yet, but the Tar Heels are searching for ways to build relationships with high school coaches without violating any NCAA rules. The program sent a letter to coaches and prospects explaining that Davis was not permitted to make on-campus visits this spring.

"Of course, we want them to come to our clinic," Davis says. "And we'll get to meet them at the state clinic in Greensboro. Next year, we may have one specific basketball game where we do something for high school coaches rather than for recruits. Right now, we have to make sure we're being creative so we can build the relationships we want to have."

Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly. He is also the author or co-author of four books on Carolina basketball.