Negative Recruiting Press

[GreenRealHard]

A recruiting fumble by Todd Dodge

By Troy Shockley

February 8, 2007

(This article was in the Abilene Reporter-News on Thursday, February 8th. I also spoke with a source close to the situation. According to the source, Todd Dodge is not welcome to recruit in the Abilene area anymore after this blunder.)

National Signing Day 2006 saw nearly two dozen Big Country football players sign national letters of intent. Eleven of those students decided to continue their athletic careers at Division I institutions.

This year the Big Country produced just three D-I signees.

Taylor Insall should've been the fourth.

Insall, a center, came into his senior season at Cooper High School with limited interest from Division I schools; not really surprising, considering he's a center. Even without a records search it's safe to say this is one of the very few stories in which Insall will have seen his name in the Abilene Reporter-News during his varsity career. It's the nature of the position.

Nonetheless, both the University of Texas-El Paso and the University of North Texas were after Insall, and he decided to go with the Mean Green. Insall gave UNT coach Darrell Dickey a solid verbal commitment before the season even began and held firmly to his choice, turning down an offer from UTEP.

An important note: Insall's was the only commitment North Texas received nationwide.

On Nov. 8, North Texas director of athletics Rick Villarreal announced that Dickey would not return in 2007. About a month later, Southlake Carroll's Todd Dodge was hired as his replacement - and that's where things took an ugly turn.

Insall and Cooper coach Mike Spradlin repeatedly attempted to contact Dodge to confirm the university's scholarship offer was still in place. Spradlin, after all, came to Abilene after a stint at the University of Houston, also a Division I school, and had been heavily involved with the recruiting process there. He knows how the game works.

When he and head coach Art Briles got to Houston, there were two commitments made by the previous coaching staff. Those commitments were honored.

Spradlin said another friend coaching at a Division I school in Texas honored the 13 commitments made before his arrival. It's done across the country. It's done because it is the right thing to do. Unfortunately, not everyone plays the game by those same rules.

Spradlin did finally get in touch with Dodge, only to learn that the new North Texas coach had no interest in honoring the scholarship offer made to and accepted by Insall.

No, he didn't want to talk with him.

No, he didn't want to come see him.

No, he didn't care that Insall's was the only commitment he had on his desk.

No.

Coach, that's not right.

It was clear when you announced the hiring of nine assistants to your staff not one month ago that you wanted a fresh start in Denton. You didn't go after Insall or offer him a scholarship. That's fine. I get it. But here's the thing: your predecessor did. And this young man was counting on that agreement as the basis for the next four years of his life.

Considering the fact that your hiring came so late in the recruiting process, the right thing to do would have been to honor all existing offers to players who remained committed to your program. Give them a year to prove themselves. In this case, your job should have been easy - you only had one commitment.

When commitments aren't honored by new coaches, any other Division I schools that extended offers to these young men, like UTEP did with Insall, have moved on. They've filled that spot. So when an offer is taken away, a kid with D-I talent is left with nothing other than the hope that a Division II school still has some money left to throw his way.

Coach, if you wanted to reevaluate Insall, that's understandable. That's your job. But you should have at least shown the decency to contact this young man and let him know that's what was going to happen. And if you didn't want to bring in a player you had no part in recruiting, at least tell him as much.

You've proven you know how to win. In fact, over the past five years that's all you've done. But - and I recognize this may not actually be in your contract - the job isn't all about winning. It's also about teaching young men about things like honor and integrity.

And now, sadly, you've proven something else.

When it came to the Taylor Insall matter, you demonstrated neither.

[untbowler]

boohoo!!

Would the reporter like some cheese with that whine. I feel bad for Insall but Dodge picked up a much better Center in the Plano West Player JJ.

If Abilene is all Dodge loses I will not lose to much sleep on recruiting the rest of the state.

[Ole Green Guts]

What people forget and I didnt understand was the fact that this is a BUSINESS FIRST. Travis Matlock was a great player and person, but the night before the New Orleans Bowl in 2002 he was told that he was going to snap extra points so that he would loose his red shirt for the year and his scholarship would open up for a new recruit. We were all outraged and pissed until someone raised the question of what we could do about it.

Travis should have gotten to play another year or play some during the season, but thats that.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS A BUSINESS NOT PERSONAL.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

There are a ton of good players that come out of that area of West Texas. In fact, we've had good players from West Texas in the past. Dodge could have at least called the kid and leveled with him. It's just a phone call. It's not good to have any negative press from coaches, especially from coaches who know the game from both sides like Spradlin.

[TicketJohn]

Assuming that this is the full story, I totally agree with the writer.

Does it suck that Dickey offered a scholarship to a guy that might not have fit Dodge's system like J.J. Johnson? Yeah, it does. But the kid should have been allowed to come here on scholarship.

[WIFE2HOT4U]

Get over it...WELCOME to the real world

I have been practically hired during an interview process and then new management came in - and you guessed it - I was not given the opportunity I thought I had.

1 & 1/2 yrs later I was given the same opportunity under yet another management regime, my current employer.

I know this is an 18 yr old kid but - when management/coaching changes, NO ONE can expect prior decisions/philosophies to remain in place!

[LongJim]

Assuming that this is the full story, I totally agree with the writer.

IF that is the case--I agree, as well.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

I don't know that he should have been "allowed" to come here, but a call to explain would have be appropriate. I mean, it's obvious Dodge and Dickey run different styles of offense. Dodge could have called the kid at least to say, "Hey, sorry, we're going in another direction" instead of leaving him and coach Spradlin hanging. Not a smart move.

[untbowler]

Also how do we know that Dodge never contacted the recruit. Obviously Dodge did not feel that Insall would fit into the system. Who knows what the true story is as Insall or whomever spoke with the recruit could be only telling one-side of the story. also if Insall was a good D1 level recruit he would have had other schools flocking all over him once DD was fired, knowing that a coaching change would mean the offer is off the table. Also why did DD not try and get him upto USU if he was such a good catch??

Also the whole all over the country honor prior offers is a cop-out did they not see what Harbaugh did to the McKinney player at Stanford. Deal with and find another place to play. also they may have tried contacting Dodge during a quiet period.

Edited February 8, 2007 by untbowler

[good_ken]

At what point does this kid not take responsibility for taking things into his hands? After Dickey was fired did he start sending videos to coaches, and try to sell himself? Did he at least send some film to TD?

I didn't know that Insall's father was a writer for the Abilen paper.

[Eagle1855]

I'm kind of torn on this. I mean, I pretty much agree with the writer. It was one scholarship... not worth burning that bridge. And you know how things go in small towns like that. Whether true or not, I imagine this article will be taken as gospel.

I can also see Dodge's side of the deal as well. You are measured by what you do as a coach from day one. You have to bring in your guys, your system, etc in effort to succeed as soon as possible.

But I still keep going back to the fact that it was just one guy... why not honor the offer?

Edited February 8, 2007 by Eagle1855

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Also how do we know that Dodge never contacted the recruit.

The article says he didn't, and the kid's coach confirmed it. Re-read the article.

Also, all this "business first" non-sense is laughable. Coaches at much bigger schools have honored scholarships before to kids that were injured before they hit campus. It's called having class.

I'm not saying the kid should have been given a scholarship. He and his coach, though, should have been called and told early in the process that his scholarship wasn't going to be honored. It's not like moving the earth and sky. It's simply picking up the phone and talking to a kid. He couldn't have at least done that? Please.

[WIFE2HOT4U]

Oh & I don't think they have to have a phone call...

When he graduates college and interviews for a job - Do they call when you don't get hired? NOPE

Why is it TD's responsibility to call?

TD is busy recruiting, I bet his wife could hardly get him on the phone much less this kid...

Why can't the MAN (DD) who offered the ship call the kid to let him know "Hey, ahh I just got fired and your ship may not still be offered but ahh I'm going to Utah State, want one here?"

[untbowler]

The article says he didn't, and the kid's coach confirmed it. Re-read the article.

Also, all this "business first" non-sense is laughable. Coaches at much bigger schools have honored scholarships before to kids that were injured before they hit campus. It's called having class.

I'm not saying the kid should have been given a scholarship. He and his coach, though, should have been called and told early in the process that his scholarship wasn't going to be honored. It's not like moving the earth and sky. It's simply picking up the phone and talking to a kid. He couldn't have at least done that? Please.

There are 2-sides to every story and again we are only hearing one-side, but hey keep up the good work.

[LongJim]

When he graduates college and interviews for a job - Do they call when you don't get hired? NOPE

Why is it TD's responsibility to call?

Because to Insall's knowledge, the ship is still on the table.

The kid has not graduated college, but by your criteria, has already been OFFERED the 'job'.

[Eagle1855]

Oh & I don't think they have to have a phone call...

When he graduates college and interviews for a job - Do they call when you don't get hired? NOPE

are you serious?

[Got5onIt]

At what point does this kid not take responsibility for taking things into his hands? After Dickey was fired did he start sending videos to coaches, and try to sell himself? Did he at least send some film to TD?

I didn't know that Insall's father was a writer for the Abilen paper.

Nail, head, hammer, hit it on the head.

I definitely understand Insall being upset because he has every right to be. However, the minute DD was fired, he should've covered himself and put out "feelers" for available offers from other schools. Coaching changes are huge moves that have huge effects in college sports. Responsibility falls more on him, IMO.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

At what point does this kid not take responsibility for taking things into his hands? After Dickey was fired did he start sending videos to coaches, and try to sell himself? Did he at least send some film to TD?

I didn't know that Insall's father was a writer for the Abilen paper.

Taylor Insall lives with his mother, idiot. Some of you have lost your minds. Dodge didn't call a kid and his coach told the local paper. And, you want to drag the guy's family into it knowing nothing about him. Sad.

I don't post often, and I'm glad I don't. It seems as though the vast majority of you have no sense of balance between life and college football. It's difficult to believe that we graduated from the same institution.

[untbowler]

Taylor Insall lives with his mother, idiot. Some of you have lost your minds. Dodge didn't call a kid and his coach told the local paper. And, you want to drag the guy's family into it knowing nothing about him. Sad.

I don't post often, and I'm glad I don't. It seems as though the vast majority of you have no sense of balance between life and college football. It's difficult to believe that we graduated from the same institution.

with your love of UT we sometimes wonder the same thing, but the bashing of Dodge and UNT gets old after awhile.

[buff64]

Taylor Insall signed with West Texas A&M University yesterday.

[Stan R]

Taylor Insall lives with his mother, idiot. Some of you have lost your minds. Dodge didn't call a kid and his coach told the local paper. And, you want to drag the guy's family into it knowing nothing about him. Sad.

I don't post often, and I'm glad I don't. It seems as though the vast majority of you have no sense of balance between life and college football. It's difficult to believe that we graduated from the same institution.

Spare me your melodrama.

[Eagle1855]

with your love of UT we sometimes wonder the same thing, but the bashing of Dodge and UNT gets old after awhile.

ahh the default "UT-boot licker" accusation. Nice work!

When you don't have a solid argument, you can always resort to name calling. Well-played, my friend, well-played.

[LongJim]

Well, my last post in this thread will just be to say that IF that article is true, it's unfortunate for the program, and would have been a great way to build some more good will. You don't get too many mulligans with high school football coaches, because they have long memories.

I'm going to believe that it was an oversight until I hear otherwise from the staff.

[Harry]

I like how "Greenrealhard" has never joined our board until it furthers his cause to post this article (he has a whopping two post on GMG.com) - yet we are supposed to believe his "sources". Whatever dude. I'm sure this will be your first and last contribution here.

Here is the bottomline, had this situation occurred with a Texas or Oklahoma or even Texas Tech there would have been no mention of it. It's ok if Mack does it. It's accepted. If it is North Texas than it is a travesty of the utmost proportion. There are players who receive early scholarship offers all of the time from the BCS level schools that are withdrawn.

Why shouldn't Darrell Dickey and his staff have some responsibility here? Shouldn't they have contacted Insall to let him know that they were leaving and the ultimate decision was Dodge's to make? How do we know that Dodge had even been given notice that this scholarship offer was out there? I just don't believe that Dodge would have passed up an opportunity to let the young man know if he had known about it - it's not his style, it's not how he operates.

[untbowler]

Taylor Insall signed with West Texas A&M University yesterday.

good for him, but still if he was D1 material other schools would have swooped in to pick him up. He will do good for Coach Carthel at a rising D2 program