How much is Coach O(ffertunity) helping?

greenminer · October 9, 2023

A bit back, someone on the board challenged the notion that Coach O is making that much of a difference. I thought I'd dig a little bit deeper, specifically at X (formerly Twitter), so that we have a little perspective. I believe 1) it's still kinda of early and this next cycle will tell us much more, and 2) the bigger picture (that is beneficial) is that we are simply investing so much more money into figuring out how to recruit better at the HS level. Having "A" dedicated staff at all is a big step in the right direction.

I pulled up the accounts of various persons that hold recruiting positions at UT, A&M, and TT to see where Owens stands among them. I think it's pretty easy to see that Coach O holds a respectable place among them if you are looking at their follower count. I also think it's important to look at a few other things besides strictly follower count:

It's my understanding Coach O spent a great deal of time in DFW, evaluating local talent for over 15 years under the umbrella of "Offertunity" camps. He has helped thousands of local kids get exposure. Not sure I can say the same for any of the others below.
When looking at their timelines, it's important to look at the interaction. It can reveal how connected they are. Look at things like "LIKES" "COMMENTS" and generic interaction (the app shows a number which I believe is the total number of views for that Tweet). A Tweet that the account actually authored is going to get different interaction than a Re-Tweet from the employer/AD (IIRC, it seemed apparent that the Longhorn brand alone helps a TON for interaction, regardless of the individual's following).

School - Name - Position - Follower Count:

UT - Brandon Harris - Director of Recruiting - 54,5K
UT - Taylor Searels - Director of Recruiting Operations - 16.7K
A&M - Daniel Clemonts - Assistant Direction of Player Personnel - 5,281
A&M - Bryan LaCivita - Director of Prospect Evaluation and Recruiting Strategy - 2,286
A&M - David Bowen - Director of College Scouting - 10K
A&M - Mason Smith - Director of Recruiting Communications - 12.1K
TT - Kate Shealy - Director of Recruiting Operations - 1,987
TT - Harrison Hanna - Ass. Director of Operations & Recruiting - 5,109
UNT - Justin Owens - Director of Recruiting - 10K

One of the things that resonated with me was a recent Tweet from Coach O about sending him your highlight videos. He didn't tag anyone. He didn't invite anyone personally, yet the number of replies/interactions he got was wildly higher than what you see from a similar tweet from anyone above. Multiple times the follower count, which suggests that these kids (and their coaches) are watching him - Coach O specifically - and telling their friends about him. Again, I couldn't find anything similar from anyone above. Maybe I missed.

Thoughts? Anything to add or edit? I'm all ears.

Edited October 11, 2023 by greenminer

Glory to the Green · October 11, 2023

I think Coach O had been great for UNT! I work with kids and one of them noticed my UNT gear, he then asked about the football program, then asked about Coach O. The kid had gone to a few football camps this summer (UT, Baylor, TT, and UNT).

I also appreciate how much positivity he speaks about UNT and the UNT brand. He goes out of his way to talk up the Mean Green

Also, I sit in section 102. The sheer number of HS kids and their families in our section is crazy! We’ve been sitting there since year 2. There’s been a huge uptick of kids in the stands. All good things.