The best thing that Baylor and TCU have going for them is the great HS football in TX. The numbers I'm quoting might not be exact but they are in the ballpark. During the Baylor-TCU game this year there was a graphic that said: the average distance for a NCAA D1 recruit is away from home is 305 miles. The average distance for TCU was 59 miles and for Baylor it was 90 miles. The announcer commented that those two schools could throw a rock from the stadium and hit a lot of their recruits. Also commented that most of Baylor's recruits were high 3*s from TX. Said Briles had deep ties to TX high school football.
How did Baylor turn their program around?
- Thread starter Big John Stud
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Very interesting stat. Bottom line is what hurts UK most is the lack of instate talent. Playing in the SEC with the worst homegrown talent comparing other SEC states is a challenge. Biggest thing we can do to help is develop a pipeline(s) to Ohio, Florida, Texas, and Georgia - when 80% of our team comes from those states we can have a chance. As it currently stands we are just at a huge disadvantage relying on in state talent.
I'm almost positive he was joking. And you aren't even beginning to describe what football is like in Texas. My family is deeply rooted in east and central Texas. I've been to more high school football games in that self-righteous state than I care to remember. A few years ago I went to see my nephew play in his final game, Class 3A. He was the starting QB for a team that had only won 2 games in each of the past two seasons. Although they lost again, I can promise you that his high school team would have been capable of murdering ANY team in Kentucky. Small and medium size communities in those areas are capable of supporting high school football programs with monies in proportions that people in Kentucky cannot possibly comprehend. I'm no exception. So when I saw the 3/4 million dollar LED video screen at the Carthage, TX high school football field I almost felt as out of place as I did when I walked through Tokyo station for the first time. And then there are the most rural, poor areas of the Piney Woods and out in West Texas. Significantly less populated, but the signs entering those spot communities are sure to contain the names of the former and active NFL players.
It is BECAUSE of Texas that an example of Baylor is totally impractical to study what needs to happen here.
Without knowing if they had some additional quality transfers coming in I would say you make a point that can't be argued against. Magnificent coaching. Iowa did benefit from a schedule that did not require them to face to top Big 10 competition during the regular season. Still, however, they put together a team that was well prepared to execute on both sides of the ball Saturday after Saturday. Straight up better coaching and better football.
Baylor's recent success is pretty much about the right guy in the right place. Briles was a Texas HS coaching legend before taking the Houston job. He "parlayed" that success into the Baylor job. After B2B 4-8 seasons he went 7-6, 10-3 and 8-5 before rolling up a 31-7 record the last 3 seasons. His recruiting classes from 2010-2014 were ranked #39, #46, #45, #31 and #35. As for "top talent" he had four 4* recruits in '10, three in '12 and '13, two in '14 and just 1 in '11. The upshot here is that he is a guy that found a way to do "more with less". FWIW, his 2015 class was #43 with four 4* guys. His 2016 class presently looks to be his best, currently ranked #15 with six 4* prospects.
As you might expect his classes are almost exclusively TX kids. HS football absolutely rules in TX. Just google up "best HS stadiums in Texas". I suspect his deep connection to TX HS football gives him some advantages in finding and recruiting "undervalued" 3* type players.
So other than the part about finding a coach who can do more with less, this is not a model UK can follow. The gulf between TX HS talent and KY HS talent is bigger than the Caribbean Gulf. IIRC, Baylor dropped a big raise and extension on Briles but that was after he had proven he could get it done. He seems pretty happy there and,despite a HUGE difference in "resources", will likely be a thorn in TX's side for years to come.
Peace
As you might expect his classes are almost exclusively TX kids. HS football absolutely rules in TX. Just google up "best HS stadiums in Texas". I suspect his deep connection to TX HS football gives him some advantages in finding and recruiting "undervalued" 3* type players.
So other than the part about finding a coach who can do more with less, this is not a model UK can follow. The gulf between TX HS talent and KY HS talent is bigger than the Caribbean Gulf. IIRC, Baylor dropped a big raise and extension on Briles but that was after he had proven he could get it done. He seems pretty happy there and,despite a HUGE difference in "resources", will likely be a thorn in TX's side for years to come.
Peace
It is doubly difficult without a savvy staff of coaches to help counterbalance the recruiting disadvantages and roster disparity. Bottom line....it is a hopeless endeavor without really good coaching to develop the talent you have & win more than you lose.....subsequently attract improved talent......develop the improved talent & win some more.....attract players with incrementally better talent....win some more......and so on, and so on.
I wonder why Texas and Texas A&M didn't win their conferences with all that superior Texas talent.
I also thought they did have a "soft" schedule being on that West division without regular season games vs OSU, MSU or Michigan . I was surprised they did play Michigan State down to the wire, and was contenders not pretenders.