Thursday, March 18, 2010

RECRUIT-A-BULL! Ernest Jones Recruiting Coordinator

Coach Ernest Jones and the UB Coaching Staff take great pride in the recruiting process. Coach Jones emphasises the Five Stages of Recruiting and how important each process is in building lasting relationships with coaches, student athletes and parents or guardians.

STAGE 1 - IDENTIFYING THE NEXT BULL IN

UB Recruits in many different parts of the country but it all starts in our own back yard in New York State. Once we identify New Yorks Finest, we turn our attention to our other key recruiting states. Recruiting begins by first identifying the best student athletes in our key recruiting states both academically and athletically. Once you have identified these potential student athletes, the next step is identifying what Coach Jeff Quinn refers to as the (RKG) Right Kind of Bull. Is this potential student athlete the right young person for the University at Buffalo? Does he demonstrate great character on and off the field? What is his level of interest in the University at Buffalo? After establishing the (RKG) basis for prospective student athletes, the next stage of the recruiting process begins.

STAGE 2 - BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP

Since the NCAA has very strict regulations and guidelines for the recruiting process, the best way to initially build a relationship with a student athlete is to provide that student athlete with as much information about the University at Buffalo as possible. This begins by sending information to the High School Coaches and then eventually information to the student athlete at his home or via email. After the potential prospect has received information regarding academic programs, information about coaches and the football team, the recruiting coordinator then will invite the potential prospects to what is known as a "Junior Day."

STAGE 3 - JUNIOR DAY

Junior Day is one of the most important opportunities for the UB Football Staff and potential student athletes as it gives the Coaches an opportunity to meet the student athlete and his parents or coach. For the student athlete it is the first time he will step foot on campus and be exposed to actual student life at the University at Buffalo. By getting an opportunity to meet and listen to each coach explain what they do by position and then being introduced to members of our academic faculty and academic support team, the prospect and parents get a very clear understanding of the fantastic academics and support staff that the University at Buffalo offers. The true selling point of the University on Junior Day is that the prospects get to see the North Campus in Amherst, New York. More often then not when a recruit gets to visit the University at Buffalo and take a tour of our facilities and see our beautiful campus, The University at Buffalo is put on the short list of schools where the prospect considers attending. Once the University at Buffalo has made an offer for scholarship to the potential prospect then it is up to the prospect to begin his decision making process and STAGE 4 in the recruiting process is probably the most important of all.

STAGE 4 - OFFICIAL VISIT

The OFFICIAL VISIT is a culmination of a very long recruiting process. Relationships have been established, a familiarization with the coaches and the University has taken place and the final visit to the University is based on spending several days with the coaches, players, professors and academic support staff. Where the prospect and family had an opportunity on Junior Day to see the facilities in a limited situation, the OFFICIAL VISIT is a much more involved and intimate opportunity to really get to experience the community and culture of the University at Buffalo, the football team and the Western New York Region. In most cases after taking the OFFICIAL VISIT to the University at Buffalo, many of the recruits will experience enough of UB LIFE to determine if the University at Buffalo is a place that they could call home for the next four to five years of their lives. Often the prospect lets the coaching staff know of their decision before they even leave the campus by giving the coaching staff the best news possible, "THE NEXT BULL IN!"

STAGE 5 - SIGNING DAY

"THE NEXT BULL IN" is the brand of Coach Quinn's culture at the University at Buffalo. Signing day is when all of our prospects that have decided to attend the University at Buffalo make it official. The 2010 Recruiting Class is regarded as the best class that UB has had in its Division 1 history. The recruits of the future will continue to come to UB due to this recruiting process and the tireless work of the UB coaches and recruiting staff.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Spring Break for the BULLS

The UB BULL staff and players are only taking the week off to see family and friends before they prepare for spring practices beginning on March 24. The BULLS will be practicing three days a week while working with strength and conditioning coaches to get bigger, faster and stronger when not on the field. This is a high tempo training schedule that the players have been preparing for since Coach Quinn arrived in January. The results are already obvious. In our next few blogs we will be posting Coach Quinn's philosophy and how it is creating the "Next Bull In" culture at the University at Buffalo. During camp we will have interviews with players and coaches.

GO BULLS!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

THE NEXT BULL IN!

"THE NEXT BULL IN" is more than just a new motto for the University at Buffalo Football Program, it is new attitude and commitment by every UB BULL coaching staff member and every student athlete that an all in mentality is what is needed and expected in order to achieve success in the classroom and on the football field.

As you will read in the days to come, Coach Jeff Quinn and his staff are dedicated to creating the finest student athletes in the country. The culture of "THE NEXT BULL IN" will be carried over into our student population and into the Western New York Area and across the state of New York.

We look forward to informing you of all the special things that are going on in this football program, this university and the Western New York Community.

GO BULLS!