Smu's Ad Being Allowed To Recruit

[SUMG]

Gee....I've never heard of this before. From The DMN blog:

Steve Orsini talks often of selling SMU.

Now the athletic director is officially a recruiter.

Along with having a full-speed football coaching search underway, Orsini and two members of his staff on Friday received a rare waiver from the NCAA allowing them to recruit football players.

SMU fired coach Phil Bennett on Sunday, though Bennett and his staff are serving out the remaining four games of the season.

Orsini and executive assistant AD Mike Vaught and director of football operations Randy Ross can initiate phone calls and send written correspondence to prospects until Nov. 10th.

Under traditional NCAA rules, only official members of the coaching staff can recruit.

“I am sure it will assist the recruiting process, as it provides an avenue to get critical information to these prospects with respect to the change in football leadership,” said Jeff Konya, assistant AD for compliance, in a statement.

Bennett said earlier this week that his staff would maintain basic recruiting roles but would not offer scholarships.

Posted by Kate Hairopoulos at 5:43 PM (E-mail this entry) | Comments

[UNTflyer]

I'm a bit surprised nobody commented on my "SMU Scoop" post over in the recruiting forum

[dodgefan]

Where is the recruiting section?

[jperg2]

Steve Orsini talks often of selling SMU.

Now the athletic director is officially a recruiter.

Along with having a full-speed football coaching search underway, Orsini and two members of his staff on Friday received a rare waiver from the NCAA allowing them to recruit football players.

SMU fired coach Phil Bennett on Sunday, though Bennett and his staff are serving out the remaining four games of the season.

Orsini and executive assistant AD Mike Vaught and director of football operations Randy Ross can initiate phone calls and send written correspondence to prospects until Nov. 10th.

Under traditional NCAA rules, only official members of the coaching staff can recruit.

“I am sure it will assist the recruiting process, as it provides an avenue to get critical information to these prospects with respect to the change in football leadership,” said Jeff Konya, assistant AD for compliance, in a statement.

Bennett said earlier this week that his staff would maintain basic recruiting roles but would not offer scholarships.

Posted by Kate Hairopoulos at 5:43 PM (E-mail this entry) | Comments

So we could have started recruiting last year once we fired Dickey? This is interesting. I wonder if RV tried to start to recruit (or tried to) once the news of Dickey being fired hit the air waves. This certainly is interesting.

GMG!!

[NT80]

Orsini and executive assistant AD Mike Vaught and director of football operations Randy Ross can initiate phone calls and send written correspondence to prospects until Nov. 10th.

So they only have one week....to do what? They may make a couple calls and get off a few letters to tell recruits they have no coach? "Dear Mr. Recruit, please consider SMUt. We have few fans and no coach but we want you. Pony Up?!"