Sports

College football

Spurrier defies recruiting buzz

By KEITH NIEBUHR
Published January 31, 2005

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Those who have seen him

in action say that despite appearances, the new South Carolina coach enjoys it ... and is pretty good at it, too.

Even though his father once worked for the man, David Reaves didn't know what to expect.

Like many, he heard the stories.

People told him that while Steve Spurrier was a great coach, he wasn't a strong recruiter and didn't particularly enjoy the process.

"There were rumors about him," Reaves said.

But was it fact or fiction?

After Spurrier hired Reaves as an assistant at South Carolina, Reaves took a wait-and-see approach. He wanted to see Spurrier in action. And now that he has, Reaves is ready to debunk the rumors.

"With us," Reaves said, "he has been unbelievable."

With national signing day two days away, the legendary ex-Florida coach, who spent two seasons in the NFL then took last fall off, and the Gamecocks are on the verge of landing a strong group of recruits. As of Sunday night, South Carolina had 24 commitments, and the national recruiting site Rivals100.com ranked the class among the top 30.

This success doesn't surprise some.

Former Florida State assistant Jim Gladden, who for 12 years went head to head with Spurrier, said the Ol' Ball Coach is a respectable adversary. John Reaves, David's father and a Spurrier assistant during the early 1990s, claimed Spurrier long has been underrated. Tennessee offense line coach Jimmy Ray Stephens, who has worked with and against Spurrier, called him a 24/7 man during the height of recruiting season.

Jeremy Crabtree, editor of Rivals100.com, said Spurrier is one of the best closers in the business. And Will Bergen, a highly regarded offensive lineman from Middleton, said Spurrier was "very natural" during the process.

How then did many come to believe Spurrier disliked recruiting? A phone message to Spurrier was not returned, but the answer, Reaves suggested, can be traced to Spurrier also being Florida's quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. That, he said, kept the coach from getting as involved in the process during the season as head coaches who don't double as position coaches and/or coordinators.

"He coached during the week," Reaves said. "Most head coaches make calls all night while he's making plans (for the game). But when the season was over, he was nonstop landing the guys we needed to have. He enjoyed (recruiting). I never heard him say he didn't like it."

Stephens agreed but said his former boss didn't entirely skip out on recruiting until January. He says the coach routinely went from one assistant's office to another during the fall to jump in on phone calls with recruits.

"He pushed it hard until recruiting was over with," Stephens said. "Then he was like, "We worked hard. It's time to recharge the battery."'

After the season, Spurrier put all of his energy into recruiting, Stephens said. And that's why Florida typically landed most of its commitments down the stretch.

"(The Gators) had great runs with Coach Spurrier toward the end (of the recruiting season)," Crabtree said. "It would be the second or third week in January, and all of a sudden, people would commit to Florida out of the blue."

Spurrier's results speak for themselves.

He regularly landed top-10 classes at Florida, and two (1992 and 2000) were rated the nation's best by some analysts. Spurrier's 1996 national title team was filled with big names from the '92 class, including quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel.

"He's kind of laid-back. He likes to play golf, and when he's on the course, he's like, "Hey, dude,"' Gladden said. "So people get the idea he's not working at it. But I think you just have to look at his track record."

His record wasn't impressive to all.

When Spurrier left in 2002 for the NFL and was replaced with Ron Zook, a coach noted for his recruiting, many believed the Gators' efforts would improve. Zook, since fired by Florida and hired by Illinois, did put together strong classes, but Spurrier, arguably, did just as well in Gainesville, if not better, Crabtree said.

"Spurrier's classes weren't lightly regarded," he said. "And you don't have that type of success if you're not willing to put in the extra effort."

Bergen picked Illinois over Iowa State and South Carolina largely because of the school's engineering program. He made an official visit to South Carolina and had Spurrier as a guest in his home. Bergen said Spurrier and Zook were different but "comparable" as recruiters. He called Zook more of a players coach but had no complaints with Spurrier.

"He was very comfortable," Bergen said. "He just sat down and talked, and he showed me his (national championship) ring. He was hyped about trying to get me up there and is excited about building the program up."

Those interviewed describe Spurrier as an honest, up-front recruiter. He doesn't make promises or say things because it's what recruits want to hear. He gravitates toward intelligent players. And, as Stephens noted, he prefers positive, upbeat kids.

"I think Steve appeals to a certain type of kid," Gladden said. "His personality is one of extreme confidence."

Will that confidence lead to recruiting success at South Carolina? It's early, but Spurrier has at least one believer.

"I've worked with him two months, and he's on the road every day," David Reaves said. "He's in schools, in kids' homes and meeting with parents. He tells them about the history of the school. He's studied up on the school, knows all about the records and the record-holders. The other day, he even questioned me on some of those things."

[Last modified January 31, 2005, 00:38:15]

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