Ranking college football’s coach openings based on recruiting
South Carolina’s improved national perception will be an advantage on the recruiting trail for the school’s next head football coach, according to a report by ESPN.
“We can thank Steve Spurrier and his staff for that,” said Tom Luginbill, national recruiting director at ESPN for high school football. “There are a lot of luxuries, enhanced facilities. You do have the Southeast recruiting region.”
Luginbill and ESPN national recruiting analyst Craig Haubert ranked the Gamecocks No. 4 among the 10 current college football coaching vacancies this week on an episode of “Recruiting Nation.” Their take was based on recruiting pros and cons.
“From a recruiting perspective, there are certain factors that go into each and every job that can give advantages over others,” Luginbill said.
The two analysts consider Southern Cal the top opening, followed by Miami, Virginia Tech, USC and Maryland.
The Gamecocks’ home in the SEC is both a positive and a negative, Luginbill said.
“The problem is, you still have to compete against all of the other foes within the East and the West, and more often than not you’re probably going to have to go into other people’s back yards, and you have Clemson within the state,” he said. “The positive, if you’re South Carolina, is the enhanced stature and perception of the program now from what it was 10 years ago.”
The ESPN duo did not reveal a rank for UCF, Illinois, Minnesota, Hawaii or North Texas.
Ranking coaching jobs based on recruiting
The top five open college football jobs when factoring in recruiting advantages and disadvantages, according to ESPN’s Tom Luginbill and Craig Haubert.
1. Southern California
Pros: History of winning; stronghold on signing West Coast talent
Cons: Program looking for coaching stability
2. Miami
Pros: No better recruiting base in terms of talent
Cons: Stadium issues; “lipstick on a pig” factor with facilities
3. Virginia Tech
Pros: New facilities; Frank Beamer legacy; history of securing talent from D.C./Maryland/Virginia area
Cons: None given
4. South Carolina
Pros: It’s the SEC; Steve Spurrier legacy means a more positive national image; new facilities
Cons: Tough recruiting competition from SEC foes; Clemson recruiting is strong
5. Maryland
Pros: Great backing from Under Armour; “neat” campus; lot of talent in D.C./Maryland/Virginia area
Cons: Stiff competition for top regional talent; with pro teams in market, tough to show recruits that school is football-focused
This story was originally published November 6, 2015 at 12:20 AM with the headline "Ranking college football’s coach openings based on recruiting."