Texas head football coach Mack Brown, who had come under fire in recent weeks for lagging behind the SEC and other Big 12 schools in implementing recruiting changes proposed by the NCAA, has finally posted a job opening for Director of Player Personnel. The job board posting details the proposed duties:
- Coordinate the daily recruiting operational and logistical processes within the University of Texas Football Program.
- Plan and supervise execution of twelve (12) month vision of Recruiting Calendar (Mail, video, graphics, social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.).
- Identify, evaluate, collect data, collect video, etc. on prospects to provide direction to the Coaching Staff through available and permissible sources (e.g., recruiting services, internet, event website, etc.)
- Monitor permissible recruiting websites at direction of the coaching staff to provide them updates on committed prospects and prospects coaches identify.
- Create and update recruiting lists at the direction of the coaching staff.
- Coordinate updates to the recruiting database.
- Monitor the number of contacts and evaluations conducted by the coaching staff and work with Athletics Compliance Services to ensure records are consistent.
- Coordinate securing, evaluating and filing of transcripts for selected prospects in collaboration with Student Services and Compliance Services Staff.
- Supervise planning and coordinating of official and unofficial visits to campus (itineraries, travel, hotel, hosts, meals, name tags, seating charts, compliance paperwork, complimentary tickets, etc.).
- Coordinate completion and submission of required paperwork and expense reports.
- Coordinate solicitation and securing up-to-date physicals for annual football camp.
- Supervise coordination of travel (commercial, charter and state pooling board) for coaches on the road recruiting.
- Supervise operator/dispatcher when coaches and/or prospects are traveling to campus.
- Monitor and work collaboratively with the staff to keep them updated on changes in the rules (University, Big 12, and NCAA).
- Serve as a liaison between all departments on recruiting matters (compliance, student services, strength and conditioning, sports medicine, travel, business, facilities, housing, parking, tickets, etc.)
- Position will supervise On Campus Recruiting Coordinator, Administrative Assistant/Associate, and Recruiting Assistant.
Even though many of these roles aren't detailed by other coaching staffs, OrangeBloods.com's Chip Brown reports Texas and TCU are the final Big 12 programs to hire a Director of Player Personnel or on-campus recruiting coordinator:
Even Iowa State and Baylor, the two smallest athletic department budgets in the Big 12, have either found a director of operations in charge of recruiting (Iowa State) or a director of player personnel (Baylor).
Let that sink in for a moment.
That fact angered many Texas fans, who expect the wealthiest college sports program in the country to use those resources to keep pace with the nation's premiere football programs. Interestingly, the job description includes supervisory duties related to the still-to-be-determined On Campus Recruiting Coordinator, as well as administrative and recruiting assistants, indicating Texas plans to follow other large programs in assembling a separate recruiting staff.
At the heart of the matter are changes in recruiting rules recently posed by the NCAA, particularly the elimination of limitations on contact between potential recruits and support staff. Under the current rules, only coaches could communicate with prospects. The proposed rule changes would make it possible for support staff to contact recruits but prohibit that staff from making personal visits to those recruits. Almost immediately, coaches began adding additional recruiters to their support personnel in anticipation of the change, and many coaches envisioned a separate recruiting staff to supplement their coaching staff.