MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama football will host about 13 prospects and their families for an official recruiting weekend as the program enters the final stretch before National Signing Day, coach Joey Jones said Wednesday on his weekly radio show.
Jones was joined on the Joey Jones Show at Wings Sports Grill in Mobile by host Lee Shirvanian, assistant athletic director for football Haven Fields and compliance officer Daniel McCarthy.
Recruiting Weekend
Most of the visiting prospects have already made verbal commitments to South Alabama, though some in the group remain uncommitted. The visitors will stay at the Battle House Hotel in downtown Mobile, dine at local restaurants and meet with university faculty. Jones said the staff’s goal is for recruits to leave campus with no unanswered questions.
South Alabama is recruiting about 50 players heavily to fill its 30-scholarship allotment for the 2009 signing period. Jones said about 20 additional prospects remain undecided.
Gray Shirt Option
If the Jaguars sign more players than available scholarships, one option is a gray shirt. Under that arrangement, a 2009 signee would delay enrollment from the fall of 2009 until the spring of 2010, keeping his scholarship but counting against the 2010 allotment.
Signing Day Event and Ticket Sales
Keith Ayers of the university’s Office of Public Relations announced plans for National Signing Day on Feb. 4. At 4 p.m. at the Mitchell Center, South Alabama will announce its first football signing class and show video of the signees. The event will include free T-shirts and autographs.
Ayers said football season ticket sales have been increasing and encouraged fans to call 461-1USA to purchase tickets.
He also announced that Thursday night’s men’s basketball game against Troy at the Mitchell Center will be K-12 Appreciation Night, with free admission for students in kindergarten through 12th grade and free South Alabama football T-shirts for the first 1,000 of them. The South Alabama women’s basketball team hosts Troy on Wednesday night at the Mitchell Center.
Support Staff Roles
Fields, who was hired by athletic director Joe Gottfried, played linebacker at Auburn from 1996 to 1999 and most recently served as associate director of athletic development at Auburn. At South Alabama, he handles football matters on the university side so that Jones and his staff can focus on players and game preparation.
McCarthy oversees compliance and is the staff’s resource on what is permitted during recruiting. Jones said recruiting compliance is “pretty much just use your common sense,” but that the staff meets with McCarthy periodically to ensure everything is done within NCAA rules, not to look for loopholes.
McCarthy said he would like to see football recruiting opened up to resemble other college sports, which allow prospects to get to know coaches better. He said that could reduce transfers by helping players choose the right school and helping programs find players who fit.
Educating Athletes on Agents
A caller referenced the situation involving Alabama’s Andre Smith before the Sugar Bowl. Jones and McCarthy said the program holds meetings to teach athletes what is and is not acceptable.
McCarthy said agents must be approved by the NFL and, in some states, licensed by the state. He said agents sometimes use intermediaries who befriend athletes and steer them toward an agent, a relationship that can start with small amounts of money and escalate into an NCAA violation.
Playoff Perspective
McCarthy’s former school, Richmond, just won the Division I-AA national championship. He called that run the most exciting experience of his career. Asked whether a playoff would work in Division I-A, he said that, just as every Division I-A regular-season game carries playoff-like stakes, Division I-AA games carry similar weight because of the limited number of playoff berths.
Offensive Coordinator Search
Jones is working to hire an offensive coordinator to replace Les Koenning, who recently left for Mississippi State. Shirvanian said the list of candidates contacted or interested would surprise listeners.
One candidate Jones interviewed was former Hoover High School coach Rush Probst. Probst has since told a local newspaper that he is not interested in leaving his current position at Colquitt County High School.
South Alabama will begin play in 2009, with home games at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
