Cincinnati Rescinds all Football Scholarship Offers.

[ScottVib]

http://hsohio.theinsiders.com/2/223910.html

BEARCATS REVOKE ALL
By Dave Berk
Date: Jan 14, 2004

With the hiring of a new coach, UC said its football program was headed in the right direction. After seeing what they did with the young men who had given verbal commitments, I'm thinking maybe its not.


Twist in recruiting happen often. Many times young athletes get caught up in the recruiting process and change their minds once or twice before settling on the school they sign with. As most know, The University of Cincinnati hired a new football coach in December.

Mark Dantonio came from one of the biggest football programs in the country. As the head of the Buckeyes defense, Coach Dantonio helped the Buckeyes win a National Title in 2002. All that is in the past now that Coach Dantonio is the head man at Cincinnati.

On Friday , UC saw several of their 2004 recruiting class come for their visits. Since the day Coach Minter had been fired, the university stayed in contact with the young men who gave early commitments. During these contacts, the student-athletes were told everything was fine and their offers would be honored. Several of these players saw other colleges call when news got out about Coach Minters release. Each trying to sway the athletes verbal commitment and give them a chance to visit another school.

Three of these players are home grown talent. Each living within an hour of the UC campus, and dreaming of being a Bearcat. Evan Spanogians of Lakota West High School and Jeff Browning of Harrison High School were two of the athletes at UC this past weekend on official visits. Jamar Harris of Northmont is another area recruit that was effected by the happenings on Sunday. While Jamar wasn't at UC this weekend, it turned out better that he wasn't, as UC saw its 2004 recruiting class become 0.

Having arrived Friday evening with plans through Sunday, each family that was at the visit, found things the way they wanted. Having a great time is part of taking a visit, when its the school your committed too, its time to start feeling like you belong. You will soon meet teammates to be, see the school inside and out, and eat some great food. On Sunday, its time to say good-bye and start getting ready for the change in ones life. The only problem for this group was on Sunday. With things winding down and everyone feeling good, the hammer came down on how much of a business college football really is.

One-by-One, Coach Dantonio spoke with the families. Each saw Coach Dantonio inform them they were not considered UC commitments. That he had chosen to revoke all scholarship offers, and commitments, and start the recruiting process all over again. Each athlete was told that he may still be offered, but that they wanted him to pick UC on the basis of the new staff, and not from the previous staff. He also spoke about the former staff having sent out offers and the university didn't know how many were sent out, and who had given verbal commitments. His statement was that he also wanted his new staff to have a say about the players they were bringing in.

While I have seen kids change their minds, and a few coaches change their minds on a single player, I have never seen a coach revoke all offers and commitments. Its a step most coaches don't have enough guts to make, because it could mean a very poor or low number recruiting class. It also puts all of the recruits back on the open market looking for homes. If this was December, few problems would arise with players finding other offers. But with National Signing Day only three weeks away, these kids are going to have problems in finding homes that they want. In this stage of the game, many colleges have the class set, or are looking for that last big commitment. They have stopped recruiting these kids and gone elsewhere to find a player they need.

In looking at how I should write about what Coach Dantonio did, I felt it was best to try and get both sides of the story. I placed a phone call to UC Athletics Director Bob Goin on Tuesday morning. At the time I called, Mr. Goin was out to lunch, but he never returned my call the rest of the day. As of Wednesday morning, the only response I received from the university, was from Tom Hathaway, the Assistant AD/Media Relations. His response was the following. "I will check with Coach Dantonio regarding your request."

I also called the three High School coaches for the above recruits. I first spoke with Lakota West HC, Larry Cox. Coach Cox said that UC had a coach in the school on Monday, and that it looked real good that Evan was a player they want to have. He said he understands what Coach Dantonio is trying to do, but felt the timing was terrible. He also said that Evan and his family were hurt by the happenings of this event and that he's gone back to work contacting schools on Evan's behalf. Coach Cox stated schools like Georgia Tech and a few others had very high interest in Evan, and it would only be a matter of time before things get worked out.

When I asked what UC had to say, he replied that Coach Dantonio wanted the players to feel they were recruited by the new staff. This way the kids would know what to expect from the men who would be their coaches, and what was expected of them.

Next I spoke with Clayton Northmont HC Lance Schneider. Coach Schneider was also in the same position that I found Coach Cox in. Trying to explain why UC revoked the scholarship offer to a kid who really wanted to be a Bearcat. Coach Schneider also said his phone and office has been busy with schools like Akron, Ball State and many others calling about Jamar. Coach Schneider said that UC has asked for film and told him they didn't even know that Jamar was offered or had given a verbal. Coach Schneider said that he was sending film along with a copy of the offer letter ASAP. He also said that one of the biggest mistakes UC had made over the years, was the lack of local talent. Coach Schneider stated " I felt they were really doing a better job with the class from last year and the kids they had received verbal commitments from this year. I don't know if it will, but it could hurt their recruiting in the future at some local schools."

The last coach I spoke with was Harrison HC Dick Nocks. Coach Nocks first stated that the Browning family was very hurt with the events that took place. That Jeff had been recruited by many schools in the spring and after taking several visits he picked UC over several larger programs. Coach Nocks told me, " I had closed the book on Jeff's recruiting, now I had to reopened it. I have been contacting schools as well as seeing several schools call about getting Jeff. UC has said they are very interested in Jeff, and I know Jeff really loves the idea of playing close to home, but, with what has happened I'm not sure what direction this thing will take. I have never seen anything like it before."

I would like to thank each coach for their time, I know that while I was speaking with each, other college coaches were at the school or calling on the phone. Each of these young men will learn from this experience and grow. While I know each one of them wanted to be Bearcats, I don't know if the hurt will subside if UC makes an offer again. The one thing that each of these young men have shown is trust. They gave early commitments to the University, and stayed committed with the coaching change. They did what we tell all recruits, don't pick a school because of its coach, pick the school that you feel you would attend even if you didn't play football. These young men did this, and stayed committed, the university showed these young men that college football is a big time business first, and the well fair of the student athlete is second.

While I understand what Coach Dantonio is trying to do, you don't do it with recruits that have come for their official visit and who have given the university a commitment. Coach Dantonio should have made such choices in December, instead of helping Ohio State with a Fiesta Bowl win. That way each of these young men and their families would have had the chance to reopen recruiting. If this was done, each family would have been able to visit other schools and be given the chance to relax about the final weeks of recruiting. Instead, each of these families are running around and wondering what to do next. I can say that thanks to the work of their high school coaches, these young men will have a home. If they end up at another school, its UC's loss this year and in the years to come.

All I can say is WOW. What a bad PR move for a program that is trying to rebuild. I can understand what they are trying to do, but at the same time, it's a pretty rough way to make your first impression with your recruiting style as a head coach.

[SirFozzie]

That absolutely sucks. No Class.. NO class at all. They deserve not to have a single recruit want to go there, for say, a decade or two.

[pskov]

Okay, I know nothing about college football, but this is completley out of order. What are those kids gonna do now? He's potentially wrecked their lives.

[korme]

What a fuckwit.

[The Afoci]

They were doing too good. This is God trying to tell Cincy that basketball was a fluke, he is still paying attention.

[Balldog]

Why not allow him a chance to recruit his own players not be stuck with more of Minter's players? It is wrong what he did to the kids but I can see why he did it.

[WSUCougar]

That explosion we just heard was a very bad idea blowing up in Coach's face.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Wonder how long it will take for this bit of very bad p.r. to subside?

Hell, I already know the answer to that question, don't I?
Ever how long it takes for UC to win 8-10 games, or whatever benchmark would satisfy.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by Balldog

Why not allow him a chance to recruit his own players not be stuck with more of Minter's players? It is wrong what he did to the kids but I can see why he did it.

First, why wait until the middle of January to make this decision? This is way late in the process to revoke every verbal's offer.

Second, I can understand the idea of wanting to bring in your own guys, but a better method would've been to evaluate the game tapes and info you have on each player and make an individual decision with each kid on whether to honor the previous staff's offer. Chances are they'll still want a lot of these guys. If the staff had instead revoked a few offers here and there it would've been more easily understood. The timing would still suck for the players in question, but the overall PR hit wouldn't have been as bad.

Thirdly, the AD reassured these kids that their offers would be honored; the school made promises to these kids that ought to be honored. I know I know, recruits change their minds all the time. The difference is that we're talking teenage kids vs. an institution of higher learning - the university should be held to a higher standard of conduct.

Fourth, is this guy seriously restarting the whole recruiting process in the middle of January? Does he seriously think this will result in a better class this season than if he'd just honored all the previous commitments?

[Leonidas]

This is just stupid. DOes he think anyone else will want to come to his school now? Anyone of quality? They are dropping a big turd with this class.

[dacman]

Damn! I officially just became a Cincinnati football hater. I hope that coach gets run out of town ASAP. The cynic in me knows that won't happen, though.

[WSUCougar]

In TCY terms, he's probably going to end up with a bunch of marginal 36- guys from Ohio who were just frikkin' overjoyed that they got a recruiting phone call from anyone with a pulse.

Serves him right, too.

[Fonzie]

The only way I can think to describe my perception of this whole debacle is "ham-fisted." There were plenty of more subtle, nuanced ways to go about the re-evaluation of these kids.

Not very bright.

[vex]

Wow.

[vex]

Originally Posted by WSUCougar

In TCY terms, he's probably going to end up with a bunch of marginal 36- guys from Ohio who were just frikkin' overjoyed that they got a recruiting phone call from anyone with a pulse.

Serves him right, too.

LOL. Never heard something so well put.

[General Mike]

The following article is quite interesting:

Dantonio calls recruit re-evaluation act of honesty

New University of Cincinnati football coach Mark Dantonio says he was only trying to be honest when he decided to re-evaluate oral commitments made by high school recruits to UC under former coach Rick Minter.

He said he was surprised his decision has caused such a stir on the Internet and on talk radio.

"I anticipated a little bit of backlash," Dantonio said Friday. "I didn't know it was going to be on talk radio, but they're talking about UC football. That's a good thing."

Dantonio has informed those recruits that their commitments are being re-evaluated by the new coaching staff, and he urged them to consider if they still want to attend UC. He said decisions would be made soon on whether to go ahead and offer scholarships to those players.

The first day a high school football player can sign a binding letter of intent is Feb. 4.

"What I did was simply say we're starting over," Dantonio said. "I have to be honest with myself in terms of how I deal with people. Coaching and playing is about relationships with people. I feel very strongly that those relationships have to be strong.

"I don't want people coming here with the idea that they were recruited to UC by the past staff and have them feel like an outsider."

Dantonio said there are "seven or eight" players whose commitments are being re-evaluated, but NCAA rules prohibit him from naming or discussing the players.

Harrison's Jeff Browning confirmed Friday that he is one of the recruits being re-evaluated, and Kristin Spanogians, mother of Lakota West's Evan Spanogians, said her son is another. The Enquirer previously reported that La Salle's Rodney Pompey also had committed to UC under Minter.

Browning said he understands Dantonio's decision.

"He doesn't know who we are," Browning said. "He should get to know us. They just want to slow things down and get to know us."

Browning said he was told he would be informed this weekend if Dantonio still wanted him to play football at UC, which he said remains his first choice.

"I just love the school," Browning said. "I want to go into law, and they've got an awesome law school. I just love everything going on up there with Varsity Village. It still has everything that brought me there in the first place.

"I think Mark Dantonio is a great guy. That's what I would want from a coach. I don't want a guy to lead me on and say, 'We don't know you, but we're going to give you a scholarship.' That gives me more confidence in him as a coach."

Kristin Spanogians said her family is not upset with Dantonio's decision but would have preferred to know earlier.

"We do understand it," she said. "The timing is a little difficult."

UC athletic director Bob Goin said he supports Dantonio's decision.

"They were diagnosed as a Division I player by one person, and Mark is doing his assessment of whether he agrees," Goin said. "So we get a second doctor's opinion. He has to live with this."

Goin said he would never allow Dantonio to change his mind about a commitment if he were the one who made it in the first place.

He said he had not called the recruits after Minter was fired and assured them their commitments would be honored by the new coach. He said he didn't know if anyone else associated with the UC program had made such a promise.

Dantonio said he sympathizes with the parents and the students.

"The easy thing to do would be to say, 'Come on in,' " Dantonio said. "But that's not being true to myself. I don't believe in doing things that way. If I take them, I want to embrace them as ours. I want them to know that we made the decision to take them so they feel a part of something fresh here.

"I would hate for them to get into a situation where a year from now they say, 'Why did I go to UC? I have nothing in common with that staff.' "
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