Coaches talk: "Which coach do you most fear on the recruiting trail?"

The June Live Evaluation Period had college coaches sitting baseline at events across the country. This opportunity gives the coaches a chance to, not only, evaluate the players, but also be seen by the players. Coming off of this period got us at On3 thinking about the recruiting process. So we reached out to high-major coaches across the country about the process. In this Coaches Talk segment, we asked high major coaches from conferences across the national landscape…

“Who is your most feared coach on the recruiting trail; the coach when you see them sitting baseline you can almost move on to another kid?”

Coaches talk

SEC coach: “Juwan Howard (Michigan). He has had such a great playing career and now showing the ability to recruit, coach, and win games.”

Big12 coach: “John Calipari (Kentucky). He’s been winning 5-star battles for three decades, including at UMASS!”

SEC coach: “Simple, Bruce Pearl (Auburn).”

PAC 12 coach: “Bill Self (Kansas). I just think he’s really good. He’s a good coach, evaluates well, and recruits good players.”

A10 coach: “John Calipari (Kentucky). He’s always gotten great players everywhere he has been. I think he is one of the best coaches in America.”

SEC coach: “Kenny Payne (Louisville). He has a long track record of getting the guy he wants.”

A10 coach: “Bruce Pearl (Auburn), Rick Stansbury (Western Kentucky), and Leonard Hamilton (Florida State) tend to get the job done.”

PAC 12 coach: “Jay Wright (Villanova) was always mine. I thought he was a low-key killer. Charismatic, winner, humble, and great with people. Moms loved him.”

Big12 coach: “Leonard Hamilton (Florida State). If he gets his recruit on an official visit first, he’s probably getting his guy.”

A10 coach: “It’s been a small sample size, but it seems that Jon Scheyer (Duke) has to be the most feared at this point based on his first recruiting class and start to 2023.”

SEC coach: “John Calipari (Kentucky). First off, Kentucky’s history. On top of that, he is a great salesman and plays in a great conference that turns out a bunch of pros.”

ACC coach: “Tom Izzo (Michigan State). When he locks in on a player, he will win. Track record, winning record, check to all of the above.”

Big12 coach: “Leonard Hamilton (Florida State). He doesn’t waste his time. If he is sitting there, it’s because he has a definitive angle at the situation and knows he can get him.”