During the early portion of the recruiting process Mike Nance noticed a concerning similarity in the line of thinking by his son Nash as well as Calhoun High teammate Da’Rick Rogers.
The two players returned from each visit more excited about specific coaches they had talked with than their overall impression of the program.
“As a parent, I wanted to advise both of those guys to pick the school they like the best because the coaches can change,” Nance said. “I told them to pick the place they wanted to be even if they didn’t have football or that dynamic coach they were impressed with.
“If a coach is a hot commodity, chances are he may not be at the same place very long. I think what just happened at Tennessee should be a wake up call for how kids pick a school.”
Lane Kiffin’s abrupt departure from UT has resulted in five players decommitting from the Vols and more defections are expected. It has served as a difficult lesson for several area recruits like Ooltewah’s Jacques Smith who planned to sign with the Vols as well as others like Dalton’s Jalen Fields and Ringgold’s Martez Eastland who had recently received offers from UT.
Smith was scheduled to be an early enrollee, but did not attend class on Wednesday and has returned home to spend time with his family. He said he will make a final decision by Monday whether to stick to his original Tennessee commitment or sign with another program. He still intends to enroll at whichever school he decides on by next week to allow him to practice in the spring.
“I’ve learned a lot just in the last couple of days,” said Smith, who added he had received 10 calls from coaches across the nation by Wednesday evening. “I know now that deciding on your college choice is not about the coach, it’s about the guys you’ll play with for four years. It’s about the school where you’ll be taking classes.
“I’m going to do it right this time around. The first time I picked the school with a coaching staff that had the most NFL experience. I already know the schools that I’m comfortable with and probably where I’ll wind up but I wanted to get away from all the distractions and make a decision that’s not based on emotion.”
Red Bank coach Tim Daniels has sent dozens of players to the college ranks and said he always reminds them before making a decision to look around and make sure their choice leads them to a place they want to live for at least the next four years.
“When you get away from home you’d better be surrounded by guys you like and a place that makes you happy as a person,” Daniels said. “There will be tough times wherever you go but I always tell my kids to find the place where they will feel comfortable in class and be happy. Not just the coach that they like the best.
“Of course you want to find a program where you fit into the scheme and will get playing time and that sort of thing. But don’t fall in love with a coach or a staff because in this day and time you never know how long they might be around.”