Bobby Petrino-Coaches and Parents Beware

[wcu1988]

I realize in this day and age verbal commitments mean nothing until signing but the coaches are suppose to be the adults in this deal. This kid committed 8 months ago and cut off other recruiters only to be told the week of signing day that he did not have a scholarship leaving his options very limited. Petrino did not even have the guts to tell the kid himself and sent one of his assistants. Petrino's history does not speak highly of his integrity for example cheating on his wife with a member of his office staff at Arkansas and a history of lying. I would like to see more coaches around the country follow this SC coach and ban Petrino and his staff from recruiting their kids, He clearly does not have the kids best interest. Also if I was a parent of a highly recruited athlete I would not let this guy or his staff get near my kid

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/02/high-school-coach-bans-bobby-petrino-from-recruiting-his-players

 

[btango]

I personally know Matt Colburn. Great kid with a supportive family. Excellent student and a grinder that gets after it.

His high school coach is Tom Knotts (formerly Harding, Indy, and West Charlotte). Knotts urges his players to commit early if they are D1A players. His rule is that once a player commits other schools will not contact the player at school. That is the reason for committing early to end the process.

This player did everything right. When he told GA Tech and some other ACC schools he was firm to Louisville they backed off. He wore Louisville gear every night at Shrine Bowl week. Solid commitment since school got out last summer.

This happens and is wrong but the right thing to do is let the player know right after the holidays at the latest. Colburn visited Louisville in mid January on an official visit. The only one he took as the family had went to schools on their own.

Louisville only signed two DBs. They did get two highly rated all purpose backs and one was very late. I think they recruited over Colburn at his position and then slow played him until they had firms from the players less than 48 hours before signing day.

As a high school coach I would be nervous with a player committing to Louisville that was not a four or five star.

 

[bulldog nation2014]

I agree a bad deal for that young man and very wise of his coach to do that. Louisville should have held up their end of the deal most definitely. Unfortunately college sports is a big time business. But this could be good for this young man I hope. It definitely showed the true colors of this coach and hopefully parents take notice of how this young man was treated. Good luck to him in the future. Seems like he is a great kid who works hard and will be a great asset to a major program.

 

[BlueVols]

Petrino is an @$$. Surprised he didn't do like he did with the Falcons and leave the kid a note.

I disagree with Knotts' assessment that committing early will back other schools off. Didn't the Big 10 coaches get all up in arms when Meyer came to OSU and start recruiting kids that had already committed to other schools.

There is no honor among thieves.
A leopard doesn't change its spots.

Yada yada yada

 

[btango]

Knotts has never said it will get the schools to back off but by committing and being firm it can slow the process. I think the key is no contact of a committed player through the school, which is the coaching staff. Also, a three star is going to be approached differently than a four or five. I think a three star quality player brushing off a school as committed will deter many of them as they keep looking for the equivalent that can play for them.

A college coach can get to any kid through another player, a family member, a runner, or by chance on the street. If they want to talk to him it will happen.

 

[DKJ]

Yes, they can definitely contact players other ways than through the head coach. You are right about that btango. But I think it is good player advocacy that Coach Knotts stood up for Colburn and made a statement that we as HS coaches are not going to watch you screw over our kids and then welcome you back in to possibly do it again to another kid.

Its not as if he was waffling between college programs. Article said he committed 8 months ago. Why even have early commitments if the coaches are going to pull their offers. The process as it is now is a lot more advantageous to the college than to the kid in my opinion.

 

[Slasher Killer]

Not a surprise at all, Petrino's a d-bag. Always has and will be.

Even if I hate the Falcons what he did was low and showed a severe lack of manhood on his behalf. You are supposed to finish what you start even if it's crap. Lou Holtz didn't quit when he had that bad season with the Jets, Schiano didn't either when he was with the Yuckaneers.

But on the bright side that player has some decent schools looking at him. Wake and Marshall are intrested as are Georgia Southern, Army, and Furman. He will get somewhere.

 

[gangsta8]

Only problem now is this kid may have to settle with a school that he is really not passionate about, but went because that's his only option. This is complete misery for the student-athlete and his family. That's why college athletes should get paid, because the coaches get paid big bucks and have childish ways themselves and soon as a kid sale some memorabilia they get suspended therefore Petrino need to be suspended four guys without pay for his lack of integrity and betrayal to this young man family.