The annual shuffling of coaches is well underway, of course, with coaches moving up, others moving on and schools scrambling to fill empty slots while their is time to save their recruiting efforts for the year.
We aren’t making any changes here at NC State, of course, but the one thing that we as fans should certainly watch closely is the quieter but nearly equally import matter: where the new coaches get their assistants from, and where incumbent coaches fill slots that are open for one reason or another. Here, State can be affected greatly.
What happens in the staff of different programs may well change the trajectory of a given program for better or for worse. The end of the Amato era here probably began when The Chest lost assistant coach and uber-recruiter Doc Holliday to Urban Meyer and the Florida Gators. Not only did Amato lose Holliday’s reruiting ability, he also lost any chance with a number of blue-chippers that Holliday had established rapport with. When Doc moved to Gainesville, a few recruits immediately crossed NC State off of their list. Snowball effect being what it is, it only got worse from there for Amato, leading to his eventual dismissal. One thing leads to another, never forget.
Current NC State Linebackes coach Andy McCollum, is ostensibly being courted by both Georgia Tech and Georgia, for example, and should he take one of those jobs, it could adversely affect NC State’s recruiting efforts in his area – the football rich state of Georgia. Keeping McCollum should be a high priority for Tom O’Brien, a head coach known for stability on his staff.
John Blake, one of UNC’s main recruiters is also mentioned for other John Blake – their highly effective and often controversial recruiter. Keep an eye on him, for example, if Oklahoma loses a coordinator or other key staff member to one of the new coaches.
Other examples are legion, and one thing you can count on is that if NC State or any other area school is going to lose an assistant to another school, it will be one of the successful ones doing a good job. It will almost certainly not be a coach who is struggling.
While some folks might be saying that they hope someone – anyone – gives Mike Archer an offer he cannot refuse, don’t bet on it happening. Coaches building staffs more often than not are going to look for new employees coming off of a string of successes that they can point to their new booster clubs as being the kind of guy that will help carry their school to the top. Archer, for better or for worse, won’t be one of those names in my opinion.
Bottom line is watch closely over the next month.
