Recruiting analyst Tom Lemming says a strong recruiter would help Arkansas.
Finding a coach who is a top-notch recruiter needs be a key part of Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long’s search for a new football coach, national recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said.
Lemming, who works for MaxPreps.com and CBS Sports Network, told members of the Little Rock Touchdown Club on Monday that even though the Razorbacks are struggling, they don’t have to stay down long.
“They won’t if they get somebody who is a great recruiter,” Lemming said. “When I look at Arkansas, I see a program that has good facilities and good education programs, but you need someone who views recruiting as a hobby.
“I’ve often joked that if you show me a great golfer, I’ll show you a lousy recruiter.”
Arkansas is 3-5 following Saturday’s 30-27 loss to Ole Miss at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, and interim coach John L. Smith is not expected to return next season.
Lemming said he believes Arkansas’ new coach should hire a staff that has a great offensive line coach, because that is the one part of a team that constantly needs to be developed, and seven great recruiters.
Lemming suggested that Arkansas needs a recruiter who has ties to the DallasFort Worth area, another with ties in northeast Texas and another with ties to Florida because those areas are so rich in talent.
“If I’m the athletic director, I want to work with the coach and see who he’s bringing in as a staff and what type of recruiting background they have,” Lemming said. “Many times an athletic director doesn’t do that and the new coach surrounds himself with a bad staff, and a few years later the coach is fired.
“They need to check the recruiting record of the assistants who are being hired.”
Lemming added that he believes the new coach should retain recruiting coordinator/running backs coach Tim Horton because of the ties Horton has developed over the past four years at Arkansas. The new coach also needs to be able to keep potential difference-makers from the state from leaving the state, Lemming said. Quarterback Kiehl Frazier (Shiloh Christian) and running back Michael Dyer (Little Rock Christian) chose Auburn over Arkansas, and top running back prospect Altee Tenpenny of North Little Rock is orally committed to Alabama.
“The new coach has to keep the seven- or eight-best in-state players from leaving,” Lemming said. “I know at Wisconsin, Barry Alvarez told me he wanted to keep a fence around Wisconsin to keep the best players inside the state. He might not have had a lot to choose from, but he wanted to keep the best players from leaving.”
Lemming said Louisville Coach Charlie Strong (Batesville, Central Arkansas), Iowa State Coach Paul Rhoads, Mississippi State Coach Dan Mullen and Washington Coach Steve Sarkisian are coaches with proven track records when it comes to recruiting. The key for Arkansas, Lemming said, is to make sure it finds a coach that fits its needs and not simply go after a hot candidate.
“When you look at the SEC, I’ve never seen a conference so talented,” Lemming said. “To me, Arkansas can do it and can turn it around, but they need to pick a coach who has a proven track record.”