HOME IMPROVEMENTS

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Feb 6, 2008 | by JAKE SCHALLER

BACKGROUND CHECKS

Once coaches determine a recruit can make a difference on the field, coaches will visit his school in the spring of his junior year. If playing ability and academic standing are 1A and 1B in Air Force recruiting, character is 1C. On trips coaches will speak to counselors, teachers, coaches, assistant coaches, trainers and anyone else who can vouch for a recruit. They want to get a feel for whether the recruit could handle a service academy.

MAKING CONTACT

During NCAA "contact periods," coaches can sit and talk with players. This is a crucial time as coaches try to educate the recruit as to what attending a service academy entails -- and glean whether the recruit truly is interested. This step has become even more important under Calhoun because Air Force is recruiting fewer players. Coaches said they must make sure players know exactly what they are committing to at the academy.

PHONE CALLS/MAIL

By this point, the recruiting pool has been narrowed to those Air Force might invite for an official visit. During the fall, coaches stay in touch with their recruits via phone, letters and e-mail (when allowed by NCAA regulations). Co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Blane Morgan said he e-mails his recruits throughout the season to update them on what Air Force is doing and to talk about how the player is doing.

"A kid wants to know you're following him and following his season," he said. "So every single one of my recruits that I'm following, I will know how they did that week.... I'll send all of them an e-mail saying 'Congratulations' or 'Keep your head up,' and then send another e-mail about our game."

Air Force used recommendations from Blue Chip Solutions to form a letter-writing series. It begins in April of a player's junior year with general information on Calhoun and the program and becomes progressively more detailed with updates. It extends through signing day.

HOME VISIT

Calhoun wants Air Force to recruit "one-deep" at each position, plus some specialists and a couple of players who might not have a specific position, for both the prep school and the academy. Of those approximately 50 or so kids, Calhoun will visit 33-35 during January when he is permitted to make contact.

Air Force gets six face-to-face contacts per player per NCAA rules, but Calhoun only has one per player. So many of the contacts are done by assistants in charge of players' areas. Warren calls the home visit "the central piece of what we do here," when it comes to recruiting.

"That's really how we get recruits," he said. "We just can't say, 'We're Georgia.' Or 'We're Tennessee.' Because this is a different type of program."

OFFICIAL VISIT

During the four weekends prior to signing day, Air Force brings its top prospects to campus for official visits. Players typically get to the academy by about noon Friday. Each coach takes the recruits from his area -- and those recruits' parents -- to lunch. At 3 p.m., academy superintendent Lt. Gen. John F. Regni and athletic director Hans Mueh, along with Calhoun and his staff, meet the players. They play a short highlight tape, then take players on a tour of the campus and give them an academic briefing. That night the recruits will go downtown with a freshman in "a controlled environment" and the coaches will take the parents to dinner.