Bag Men

[StevensTechU]

Simple question. I'm also attaching a link to a great article on the subject.

https://www.bannersociety.com/2014/4/10 ... ll-players

[Phalanx]

Historically, the Ducks were largely getting it done with 3-star guys, so I don't think they were using bag men. In recent years, e.g. since they fired Helfrich, I am a little less confident.

[ncduck]

There are rumors about it. It’s the reason conference coaches don’t vote for UO players on all conference teams.

[Duck07]

Historically, the Ducks were largely getting it done with 3-star guys, so I don't think they were using bag men. In recent years, e.g. since they fired Helfrich, I am a little less confident.

Yeah it wasn't happening when I was in school but I can't speak to the Slick Willie era and who he may have talked to privately.

[Everythingsducky]

Who the freak knows? Oregon has created its own brand, they recruit nationally. MC is known everywhere as a top recruiter, and by all accounts, families love him. Nike sells the program to recruits that may have further aspirations outside of making it to the next level. There is probably dirt on most programs. It’s not IF there are bagmen, it’s IF there are rogue morons in the program that screw up enough to get caught. Who the hell knows. If UO starts stacking more 5-stars, and is a mediocre team, then maybe. Winning helps take care of itself. Not on the conspiracy bandwagon, but not totally naive either.

[GrantDuck]

Yes, to some degree, but so far thankfully they're not stupid enough to give it in McDonald's bags.

My guess is most of it's done at the local level where the kid goes to school for certain kids. Helping out his HS coaches or family members.

[GoDucksTroll]

Yes. Virtually zero doubt.

The Bag Man article is a good one, but that is just scratching the surface. The reason Tennessee is the one in the news now is that they got too brazen and went for actual bags of cash while upsetting the wrong people. Who do you think ratted them out? It’s not like they got caught, the NCAA isn’t checking bags of McDonalds for cash. Georgia or someone was upset at them for coloring outside of the lines one too many times. Cash, cars, clothes, electronics, jobs for friends and families, housing.

Basketball is a completely different animal, but also yes. That one is basically proven, and it predates Altman. Kenny Payne lol. I’ve even had an executive at my old company telling me how he makes sure the recruits visiting the women’s basketball team at his alma mater, a prestigious university with a P-5 football team, don’t leave without $100 handshakes.

[alxtw]

It feels like ASU, with its recent increase of attention and visits from top recruits, has stepped up their bag game. Hahaha

[GoDucksTroll]

It feels like ASU, with its recent increase of attention and visits from top recruits, has stepped up their bag game. Hahaha

Could be, Herm uses NFL terminology a lot so he might call them free agents. Prentice Gill has been a really good addition to their staff, it’s a shame he had to burn his bridges at Oregon with a blowtorch.

[justducky0]

I can tell you prior to Chip Kelly. Yes, Oregon had a few bag men.
That is all I will say.

[nogerO]

After living here in SEC country I can tell you everybody in this conference does it a lot.

[OrTDuck]

Not referencing any particular program or coach; but, just in general, I've wondered a bit about position coaches who get labelled as "mega recruiters"?

It used to be they were guys said to be relatable and good at bonding with kids, etc., etc. ("XBox Tosh" and whatnot). Usually younger less established guys, or relatively younger guys in demand due, at least, in part to a reputation of results in that area (rather than pure coaching chops).

But in recent years I've wondered (a bit more) to what degree (if any) they tend to be guys who (in part) have built up a young career knowing how to "play the game", being good at "playing the game", and making sure recruits are comfortable "stepping into the game".

Recruiting generally isn't seen as a blast for coaches without all of this stuff (and it's not hard to come up with reasons why). Most successful , established, older coaches must just love to get to the point they can get relieved as much as possible form many of these duties. Especially if that "job" requires (indirectly) working in shadows and breaking rules.

It would make some sense why some young coaches just flame out early, while others come in and hit triples and home runs in recruiting and continue to do so. Also, why a lot of established successful coaches don't seem to recruit much at all once they are good enough to keep around without that.

A theoretical example might be a younger coach just killing it in recruiting at a school to a level it's never seen, who gets hired to a traditional power with a staff full of guys just not good at "playing the game" who shows up and all of a sudden the schools seems to have "game" again.

It could be that one guy is just THAT good at relating to kids, better than the whole previous staff put together, but to me maybe that seems like an incomplete answer? (And that's not to single out either program in the example, as both employed him).