11-05-2012, 10:12 AM
It is an interesting case of a fan base that has gotten too big for its britches. They really believe that the are are an attractive site for a top-tier, star quality coach. C.al's window closed for grabbing elite recruits when Stanford decided to wake up. West recruits who want a football factory will go to U.SC and/or Oregon. Recruits drawn to a blue collar mentality will probably go to a place like OSU or Utah. If they want a party school, they'll go to ASU (and UA?). If they're looking for a combination of top-flight academics and outstanding football, well, clearly Stanford is now the place to be.
Okay, that's perhaps over simplified. But right now, I don't think C.al football has a "brand" that resonates to recruits, especially with the on field performance. And a top-tier HC can see that. And none of those guys they're talking about care about working for "the number one PUBLIC university". They want a strong football program where they don't have to worry about raising money, getting facilities, or dealing with academic headaches. They want to coach players who with the talent to take the team to the BCS CG.
Okay, that's perhaps over simplified. But right now, I don't think C.al football has a "brand" that resonates to recruits, especially with the on field performance. And a top-tier HC can see that. And none of those guys they're talking about care about working for "the number one PUBLIC university". They want a strong football program where they don't have to worry about raising money, getting facilities, or dealing with academic headaches. They want to coach players who with the talent to take the team to the BCS CG.