Born & Bred // June 2018 // Recruiting

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ISSUE IX

O F F I C I A L

M A G A Z I N E

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R A M S

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RECRUITING

BRINGING THE BEST TO CHAPEL HILL

YOU PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY RAMS CLUB MEMBERS LIKE YOU GIVE THE GIFT OF OPPORTUNITY – for the best student-athletes to attend the best university, to compete in the best facilities, and to play for the best coaches at the highest level of competition in all 28 of our varsity sports.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE RAMS CLUB, VISIT RAMSCLUB.COM P.O. BOX 2446 | CHAPEL HILL, NC 27515 | (919) 843-2000 |

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WELCOME

Letter from the Editor

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Deciding what to include in a magazine is pretty simple: what does the audience want to read?

In some form or fashion, The Rams Club has been producing an official magazine for almost two decades. And in those two decades, readers’ interest hasn’t wavered in one very important topic: recruiting.

But there’s a problem. As an official publication of The Rams Club, the prevailing theory had always been that we can’t discuss recruiting in these pages. There are too many NCAA restrictions.

With that in mind, welcome to . . . the recruiting issue. Now, let’s be clear. In these pages, you won’t be reading about Roy Williams’ scholarship hierarchy for the class of 2020, or leafing through Larry Fedora’s recruiting board. You’ll likely only find the words “five star” on the very back page, in Tommy Thigpen’s insightful look at some of the realities of recruiting in the year 2018.

But we still wanted to do a recruiting issue—we just wanted to do it differently. Recruiting is usually viewed through the prism of the prospects. There are other publications where you can get that type of angle. We wanted to approach recruiting from the Carolina perspective, and specifically from the current Tar Heel coaches and players who are regular participants in the process.

Research and interviews for this issue reminded us of one sometimes underrated fact. Fans think about recruiting when a prospect announces his or her decision, or when they’re bored on the internet. Coaches think about recruiting every single day, multiple times per day. Call a college head coach and tell them you want to talk about recruiting and it’s wise to make sure your afternoon is clear.

They’ve seen the good, they’ve seen the bad, and they’re constantly thinking about ways to do it differently or better.

Recruiting isn’t just something that’s important for the teams you love to cheer on in Chapel Hill. It’s also one of the key goals of The Rams Club, as the organization pushes to secure 22,000 members. Look around the next time you’re in the Smith Center: the current membership total wouldn’t even fill the 21,750 seats to capacity. In some way, all of us are recruiters in the quest to reach the membership goal.

Hopefully, you’ll enjoy this summer issue on a beach or during a family vacation. You probably won’t see any Tar Heel coaches dipping their toes into the ocean. They’ll be too busy—you guessed it—recruiting.

PRODUCED BY THE RAMS CLUB EDITOR IN CHIEF ADAM LUCAS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS LEE PACE, PAT JAMES & SPEED HALLMAN PHOTOGRAPHY JEFFREY CAMARATI, ANDY MEAD, PEYTON WILLIAMS & BRIAN BATISTA DESIGN JUJUBE SPORTS PUBLISHING

ADAM LUCAS Editor in Chief ramsclub.com

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“For us, recruiting always starts with the University of North Carolina. We are a global university and that great academic reputation is attractive to any student-athlete.“ —KAREN SHELTON

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RECRUITING

edition

ON THE COVER: Artist Jason McCorkle shows us Rameses as Uncle Sam, reminding members and coaches alike of the importance of recruiting.

COVER BY JASON MCCORKLE PAGES 4 AND 5 BY JEFFREY CAMARATI & ANDY MEAD

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BORN & BRED

RECRUITING

10 Constant Commitment

Tar Heel head coaches detail the complexities of modern recruiting

BY ADAM LUCAS

RECRUITING

14 The Right Pitch

Student-athletes cite a variety of reasons that sold them on Carolina

BY PAT JAMES

RECRUITING

20 Taking the Test

Before a coach can recruit the next Tar Heel great, they have to pass an occasionally tricky annual NCAA test

BY ADAM LUCAS

26 EDITOR’S LETTER p. 3 RECRUITING

26 Turning Visits into Commitments Angela Kirkpatrick’s job is designed to make sure prospects connect on their official visit

BY ADAM LUCAS

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34 CAROLINA EVERYWEAR p. 18

TAR HEEL TICKER p. 6 RECRUITING

28 Always Online

Electronic communication has completely changed the world of football recruiting

BY LEE PACE

RECRUITING

34 Proud Parents

Their son made one of the most memorable kicks in Carolina history, and now Chris and Victoria Weiler are making their own significant impact on Tar Heel athletics

BY SPEED HALLMAN

FIRST PERSON

38 Finding the Sticking Point

A current Tar Heel coach has seen every angle of UNC recruiting, from being recruited to Carolina as a student-athlete to recruiting the next generation as a coach

BY TOMMY THIGPEN

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TA R H E E LT I C K E R RECRUITING THE BEST

LET’S HEAR FROM THE COACHES Tar Heel coaches share their thoughts on recruiting. Photo by Peyton Williams

THE BEST RECRUITER I’VE EVER SEEN IS...

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SCOTT FORBES, BASEBALL Associate Head Coach

Chad Holbrook. He knows talent and is very good with the kids and parents. I would put Scott Jackson and Roger Williams right there because they work so hard and outhustle a lot of coaches while also knowing talent very well.

SAM PAUL, MEN’S TENNIS Head Coach

Tripp Phillips (current UNC assistant coach) is one of the very best. A lot of our success is due to him.

BRAD FREDERICK, MEN’S BASKETBALL Assistant Coach

Easy answer: Coach Williams. The amount of time and energy he puts into recruiting, especially during the season, is unmatched in our game. He is constantly looking for ways to go see kids after practice, after games, on off days, or during finals. He does it all without ever missing one of our own practices or sacrificing the needs of our current team.

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JOE SAGULA, VOLLEYBALL Head Coach

Eve Rackham (former UNC player and assistant coach and now the head coach at Tennessee) was a great recruiter for our program. Chris Bigelow, who used to be at Wisconsin and Texas and is now at Cal, has a reputation for being one of the very best.

A CHANGE I WOULD MAKE TO RECRUITING IS...

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SCOTT FORBES, BASEBALL Associate Head Coach

The volunteer assistant being unable to recruit. First, calling it the “volunteer” is silly, as their coaching is just as important as the other three coaches. Helping that “volunteer” get recruiting experience would help him develop as a coach and also make the recruiting less taxing on the other coaches.

SAM PAUL, MEN’S TENNIS Head Coach

I’d like to see it go back to not being able to call juniors and have juniors visit.

I’d like to see both of those things happen only with seniors. A lot of things can change from sophomore year to senior year. I’d like to be able to see them mature and develop before we get too far into the recruiting process.

JOE SAGULA, VOLLEYBALL Head Coach

I wish there had been some type of grandfather clause to help the kids who are in the middle of some of the recruiting rules that were just enacted in our sport.

If you’re a freshman or a sophomore in high school, you were going by the old rules, and then all of a sudden the rules changed, and you’re kind of stuck.

KAREN SHELTON, FIELD HOCKEY Head Coach

It was a positive change to stop the craziness of offering a scholarship to eighth and ninth graders. The next step is for us to follow the lead of lacrosse and not allow phone calls or third party communication through a club coach to try and get around some of the restrictions that have been put in place.

WAYS TO RECRUIT A NEW RAMS CLUB MEMBER: 1 IDENTIFY AVID TAR HEELS. 2 BRING FRIENDS TO A GAME AND ASK THEM TO JOIN. 3 REFER A FRIEND: SEND THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION TO THE RAMS CLUB. WHEN THEY JOIN, YOU EARN POINTS! 4 GIFT A MEMBERSHIP FOR A GRADUATION, BIRTHDAY, CHRISTMAS OR ANY HOLIDAY. 5 CONTINUE TO SPREAD THE MESSAGE OF PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENT-ATHLETES.

BRAD FREDERICK, MEN’S BASKETBALL Assistant Coach

No restrictions on grad transfers. If you graduate from college, you have earned the right to go play wherever you want with your remaining eligibility.

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TA R H E E LT I C K E R RECRUITING THE BEST

WEIRDEST RECRUITING PITCHES

Carolina student-athletes share some of the strangest pitches they received from other schools during their recruitment.

WILLIAM SWEET

“I was told that there were three conferences in the NFL – the AFC, the NFC and the SEC.”

JOSE MONTAÑO

“I would say the weirdest pitch was getting promised that there were plenty of great Mexican restaurants around campus.”

MAKENNA JONES

“They tried to sell me by telling me all my high school friends would be able to come watch me because I would be close to home, but I was online schooled so I didn’t have many high school friends.”

KATIE HOEG

“I think it’s funny when a lot of coaches try to reel you in with the food. Like, ‘Oh, yeah, we have a lacrosse team and the school is OK. But the food here is just amazing.’ I think that’s really funny. For me, that’s a huge plus. I’m like, ‘Really? Where is it?’”

JAMIE ORTEGA

“‘You might not win a national championship, but you’ll get a good job out of it.’ Personally, for me, I came to play lacrosse for a national championship. I’m not focusing on a career right out of high school.”

FOOTBALL

MEN’S GOLF

WOMEN’S TENNIS

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

ANNA KEEFER TRACK AND FIELD

JOEY LANCELLOTTI

“When they were talking up the school, one of the coaches who was older, coach (Mike Fox’s) age, said, ‘Yeah, we have really good-looking girls here.’ My parents were right there, and I was like, ‘Oh, nice.’ That was funny. That was in a meeting, and my dad was cracking up.”

IKE FREEMAN

“I don’t even know. My decision here was real quick. I always wanted to come here as a kid, so I kind of just blanked out everything (other schools) were saying. Once they asked if I wanted to come here, I was like, ‘Absolutely, where is the paper?’”

BASEBALL

BASEBALL

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“I think they had a puppy on one of the teams, and they were like, ‘Oh, you can always play with the puppy. The puppy will always be here.’ Because I love dogs.”

BORN & BRED

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TA R H E E LT I C K E R REMEMBERING WOODY

FAVORITE MOMENTS WITH WOODY DURHAM

In our last issue, we received a great response on your favorite Woody Durham memories. We wanted to share more of those favorite moments this month.

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I had to go to some pretty extreme measures to hear Woody while serving in the military and later, working for airlines. I drove around in my car in Germany (idling stationary is a no no there) so I could hear the 1991 Final Four. In 1986, we orbited in a helicopter using the HF radio receiver on the tail boom to dial in Woody while in Honduras. And when I was paired with a fellow UNC grad operating a commercial flight, I stayed busy scanning the radio to hear Woody's call of the 1995 UNC vs Clemson football game for most of the flight.

The 2005 championship game vs Illinois was from the flight deck of a Boeing 727. But my all-time favorite was hearing him say hello to me personally from the late night broadcast of the 1977 Rainbow Classic in Hawaii when listeners would call in to let him know you were tuned in for the game.

We always turned the TV sound off for Carolina games and listened to Woody.

When our son, Bradley, was in Baltimore and could not get the games, he would call and we would put the phone by the radio so he could hear Woody and the play by play and follow the Heels.

-PERRY COLLETTE

I retired several years ago after a career in education, working with young adults with special needs. One week my wife and I brought one of my young ladies with Downs Syndrome with me to Chapel Hill. Her name is Susan and she is a HUGE Tar Heel fan. We attended a spring football game and baseball game, the next day we had lunch at Sutton’s, my favorite restaurant. I told Susan, “We might see someone famous in Sutton’s.” When we walked in, there were Woody and his wife having lunch. Susan was SO excited! I had met Woody on several occasions and knew what a great man he was. I introduced myself again and told him I apologized for interrupting his lunch, but asked if Susan could have her picture made with him.

Not only did he have his picture made with Susan, he told his wife to slide over and make room for us to join them. We stayed for a few minutes and our conversation was non-stop Carolina. He was such a special human being, and he made Susan feel special, like she was the only person in the restaurant. As I think about that special moment Woody was “just going where he goes and doing what he does.

Here is my Woody Durham story.

I have always been a Tar Heel fan, for as long as I can ever remember. I’m 13 years old at the old Charlotte Coliseum, attending the Annual North-South Doubleheader. My Grandmother takes me there every year - UNC, NC State, Furman and Citadel are the teams.

I’m in the men’s bathroom, standing at the urinal. Woody Durham walks up to the urinal directly to my right. I look up and I’m totally excited as its the first time I have ever seen him that close in person. I get so excited I turn to my right and say, “Woody Durham. I’m a huge fan! Can I get your autograph?”

Woody, without missing a beat, or more importantly, without turning to his left said, “Why don’t we finish what we are doing here and then I will sign anything you want me to sign.”

Woody proceeded to sign my program as he walked out of the bathroom. It didn’t hit me until I was back at my seat that I probably could have waited until he walked out of the bathroom to make my autograph request. Totally too excited and totally 13 years old.

-BRYAN GENTRY

-TONY JARRETT

-GARY AND EMMA SHERRILL

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RECRUITING

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COMMITMENT TAR HEEL HEAD COACHES DETAIL THE COMPLEXITIES OF MODERN RECRUITING written on a stone tablet somewhere, they The family of Carolina head volleyball

BY ADAM LUCAS coach Joe Sagula is familiar with the realities PHOTOS BY JEFFREY CAMARATI & BRIAN BATISTA would be easy to memorize and forget. But the NCAA-mandated requirements change on a of their lives. yearly basis, sometimes in a major way. And add to the complexity Anytime Coach Sagula is awake, no matter where he might be that rules for every sport don’t always change simultaneously. or what he might be doing, when a call or a text comes in from a Men’s and women’s lacrosse, for example, were already recruit, the answer is immediate: operating under guidelines that restrict high schoolers from “I need to take this.” making a visit and making contact with coaches on campus until For Tar Heel coaches, recruiting isn’t just a summer activity, or September 1 of the prospect’s junior year. Other sports followed an offseason activity, or a way to fill an occasional roster hole. It’s suit in May of this year. That’s a significant change in some sports, every day, every month of the year, day and night. where commitments from high school freshmen and sophomores “We are available 24/7 for any prospect,” Sagula says. “We had become routine. And the rule doesn’t necessarily eliminate encourage them within the rules to call us. So it’s not unusual those commitments, because a prospect could be willing to to get a text at three in the afternoon from a prospect who says, commit without visiting a coach on campus. It might sound ‘I’m going to try and call you tonight at 8:30.’ Well, they might far-fetched, but given the allure of a college scholarship, it’s a be in California or Texas so the time zones can be a little tricky. possibility.

And by the rules, I can’t respond to that text. But whether I’m “Kids are committing so early,” says men’s tennis coach Sam home, or out having dinner, or anywhere I might be, when that Paul. “That has changed a lot since I’ve been doing this. We went call comes, I have to get it. If it’s a freshman or a sophomore, I from that happening in a couple of sports and now it’s trickling can’t call them back. So if I miss a call, I have to try to call a club down into tennis. When I first got here, we’d bring uncommitted coach or someone like that and try to get them to call me back, kids to basketball games during a visit in their senior year. They’d and that’s not a guarantee. So I try very hard not to miss a call.” visit us on a basketball weekend and that would be a big deal Sagula used a key phrase: “within the rules.” If the rules were

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University of North Carolina with a prospect who hadn’t yet for us. Then they started committing before their senior year, finished a year of high school. and now juniors are committing even earlier, and it can be even “When you’re looking at a high school earlier in some cases.” freshman, it’s all about potential,” Sagula The recruiting timeline has become so says. “But if you’re looking at a senior, you accelerated that the key components of can see what they have become. You can the process have changed. Most casual fans “A long time ago, Coach (Roy) see how tall they are and I can see more picture the in-home visit as being the key specifically how they fit into my program. As Williams spoke to our coaches closing moment for a head coach seeking a freshman, I can see they have talent, but to secure a commitment. The reality is that and said he doesn’t just watch there are so many unknowns.” in many sports, in-home visits simply don’t what a kid does on the field. He Those unknowns often have nothing to happen anymore, or if they do, they happen do with what happens on the field or on the watched what they do on the when a prospect is already committed. court. At an academically rigorous school Another popular misconception is that bench. Are they cheering their like Carolina, coaches know they can’t just recruiting is solely about sales. That’s an teammates on? Do they display recruit the most talented athletes; they have important component of the process, of the things in terms of heart and to recruit the most talented athletes who are course, but before the interaction with a willing to put in the effort in the classroom prospect can begin, there’s a long evaluation passion that you want on your and in the community. process. That’s where the timeline changes Paul has found that one of his biggest can benefit the coaches. Evaluating a high team? That’s an important part of recruiting assets is the Kenan Flagler School our evaluation.” school freshman—both physically and of Business. Recent standouts Ronnie mentally—is very different than assessing Schneider and Brett Clark came to Chapel Hill to play tennis, but a high school junior. It never made much sense for coaches to also to enroll in the business school. be discussing the academic advantages of a college like the

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THE WISDOM OF EXPERIENCE KAREN SHELTON

TAR HEEL HEAD COACH: FIELD HOCKEY TIME IN CHAPEL HILL: 37 YEARS HOW HAVE YOU IMPROVED THE MOST AS A RECRUITER? “We’re more efficient and more organized in tracking the kids. We follow a progression. It used to be that everything happened late. Now it’s expanded and we’ve had to get organized to make sure we’re following the kids and getting to as many camps as we can. However, we try to continue to look at those kids who might not be at all the events we attend, because oftentimes those are the three-sport athletes who often don’t get the exposure some sport-specific athletes might get, but they might be an even better athlete.”

JOE SAGULA

TAR HEEL HEAD COACH: VOLLEYBALL TIME IN CHAPEL HILL: 29 YEARS HOW HAVE YOU IMPROVED THE MOST AS A RECRUITER? “We’ve gone after higher-level athletic kids. Five

or six years ago, we decided to go after some really athletic kids who we could take a risk with. They weren’t as polished in terms of volleyball skills, but we felt we could make them into a player who fit our program because of their athleticism.

Earlier in my career I went for more of the polished kids. At a certain point, if you want to get to that top level, you have to take a couple risks on athleticism.”

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RECRUITING

RECRUITING GLOSSARY

CHAMPIONSHIP TALENT: Carolina currently boasts nine head coaches who have won national team championships at Carolina: (clockwise from bottom left) Sylvia Hatchell, Joe Breschi, Anson Dorrance, Brian Kalbas, Karen Shelton, Carlos Somoano, Roy Williams, Sam Paul and Jenny Levy.

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Coaches can have face-to-face or phone contact with prospects or parents, watch games or practices, or visit high schools.

CONTACT PERIOD:

EVALUATION PERIOD: Coaches can watch prospects compete, visit high schools and have written or phone contact with prospects or parents. But coaches cannot have face-to-face contact with prospects or parents away from the college’s campus.

QUIET PERIOD: Coaches cannot have face-to-face contact with

prospects or parents and cannot visit high schools or watch prospects compete. Coaches can have written or phone contact with prospects or parents and prospects can visit campus.

DEAD PERIOD: Coaches cannot have face-to-face contact with

prospects or parents, cannot watch prospects compete, and cannot visit high schools. Prospects cannot visit a school’s campus. Coaches can have written or phone contact with prospects or parents.

BORN & BRED

Field hockey coach Karen Shelton, whose competitors are other top-level academic institutions such as Stanford and Princeton, has learned to watch more than just what happens on the field.

“A long time ago, Coach (Roy) Williams spoke to our coaches and said he doesn’t just watch what a kid does on the field,” she says. “He watched what they do on the bench. Are they cheering their teammates on? Do they display the things in terms of heart and passion that you want on your team? That’s an important part of our evaluation.”

The recruiting process ultimately hinges on the elusive concept of fit. Does the prospect fill a need on the roster? Is the prospect willing to commit to the type of academic work required? If there’s a campus visit, what are the impressions of the current Carolina players and coaches about the prospect?

The recruiting world changes quickly. But there’s been one constant. “We’re not going to use gimmicks,” Paul says. “We have a great university and a great product. We’re proud to be able to present that to a young man. We’re giving them a great opportunity to grow as a young person. Once you get into it and you get the chance to talk about North Carolina, that’s really fun.”

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THE

RIGHT

PITCH STUDENT-ATHLETES CITE A VARIETY OF REASONS THAT SOLD THEM ON CAROLINA

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GROWING UP IN A LARGE ITALIAN FAMILY JUST OUTSIDE OF PHILADELPHIA, JOEY LANCELLOTTI ALWAYS PLACED AN EMPHASIS ON FAMILY. toward him, ignoring his parents. But at Carolina, questions such as He served as the protective older brother for his sister, Gianna. He “How do you feel about this?” were replaced with “How do you guys considered his parents, Joseph and Janine, his best friends. But with feel about this?” few successful college baseball programs located above the MasonHe also met current Tar Heels on his visits to Chapel Hill.

Dixon line, Joey knew he’d eventually need to leave his family and “A lot of schools would just show you around and be like, ‘Yeah, here attend a university in the South if he wanted to preserve his College it is. What do you think? We really want you,’” Lancellotti said. “But World Series aspirations. they kind of made it like, ‘This is your decision, but this is a really great Joey came to that realization at a young age. And as he visited place and we’re here to make you comfortable.’ several schools, he looked for one that could also provide “They were just always consistent. Like a lot of teams the family atmosphere to which he was accustomed.

BY PAT JAMES would just randomly call me throughout the week and “Once I knew I was going to lose that tight-knit feel PHOTOS BY JEFFREY CAMARATI just be like, ‘Any decisions yet?’ Coaches here would call with my family, I kind of wanted something that felt like and ask, ‘How are you doing?’ You could just tell it was a home and comfortable,” Joey said. “That was such an great place without even stepping foot onto the campus.” important thing during the recruiting process.”

Before Keefer, from just outside of Minneapolis, visited UNC, she And no University could offer it quite like UNC. said she knew very little about the campus. But she learned thenLancellotti, a freshman right-handed pitcher and outfielder for the assistant coach Steve Rubin didn’t need to build it up.

Tar Heels, noticed that. So, too, did fellow freshmen Anna Keefer and “That’s what was different when I talked with him versus other Jamie Ortega, a sprinter/jumper on the track and field team and an coaches,” Keefer said. “It’s very easy, like I was catching on, that they’d attacker on the women’s lacrosse team, respectively. really try to sell it. I was like, ‘OK, I get it. They’re really trying to promote “The coaches just kind of made it easier,” said Ortega of her that.’ Whereas he told me about the campus a little, but he didn’t really recruitment. “You see how the people are as a team, and you’re like, try to oversell anything.

‘Do you think they’ll let you in because you’re different and you don’t “Then I came on my visit, and I was like, ‘Oh, wow, it really is super nice.’” really know them and they’re older than you?’ But it wasn’t like that.

Keefer visited UNC over Halloween weekend. So naturally, a few of “They were so nice. They just make you feel welcomed, and I think her future teammates took her to Franklin Street. this place like no other is a home away from home.”

“I hadn’t experienced anything like that,” Keefer said. “I was like, For Lancellotti, the baseball coaches made the program feel family‘Whoa, this is a fun place. They’ve got a lot going on.’ It was cool to oriented early on. Most schools typically directed questions only

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BORN & BRED

see everyone out on Franklin, and I really like how Chapel Hill is more suburban; it’s not super city-like.

“I kind of liked that there’s a nice street with a lot of shops and stuff on there, but it’s also suburban, not crazy busy.”

Keefer said the primary reasons she chose to attend UNC were Rubin and the Irwin Belk Track at Fetzer Field. But last summer, just before Keefer enrolled, Rubin became the head coach of the men’s cross country and track and field teams at Amherst College. And the track was torn down as part of the ongoing facilities transformation.

What mainly brought her about 1,200 miles from home to Chapel Hill was no longer here. Still, other aspects of the University, specifically the people she’s been surrounded by, have made up for those absences.

“I liked the people here; they’re good people, they have good goals,” Keefer said. “Some other schools, they might not have the same

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Ortega said the UNC coaches proved they truly cared about her.

One of the ways they showed that was by watching all of her games that they attended from beginning to end, no matter the result and even after she committed.

“You’re not just someone they recruit,” Ortega said. “You’re more than that. You’re their future player, their future teammate. And I think that was really important. I would see other coaches at my games and be like, ‘Oh, they’re here.’ And then you see (assistant coach) Phil Barnes in a bright Carolina shirt, and he’s there like the whole tournament.”

If that wasn’t enough to convince Ortega, the women’s lacrosse team’s history of success certainly was.

“They’re not like, ‘Come here because we’ve got the best gear. Come here because we have the best facility,’” Ortega said. “It’s like, ‘Come here because you want to win a national championship.’ I think that’s a lot of peoples’

I DON’T KNOW WHAT ELSE I’D BE LOOKING FOR.

THIS HAS EVERYTHING ON THE CHECKLIST.” motivation. Kids are just doing the sport, whereas here people are really like, ‘I want to do well in school, I want to do well on the track.’

“So I guess having similar mindsets around me, I just liked that; I got that vibe. Good academics, good athletics, I thought it would be a good place to go.”

NCAA Division I track and field recruiting rules prevent coaches from calling athletes until the July before their senior years of high school. So Keefer’s recruitment wasn’t lengthy.

In lacrosse, legislation that was passed last year attempts to set Sept. 1 of a prospect’s junior year in high school as the first date of any form of recruiting contact. But before that change, recruiting began much earlier for most lacrosse players.

That was the case for Ortega, who verbally committed to Carolina as a high school freshman.

goals, but this is why we play, we play to win a national championship.”

As a child, Lancellotti watched the College World Series every year from 2006-13, when the Tar Heels made six trips to Omaha. He was well-educated on the program’s history before his recruitment.

But until then, Lancellotti hadn’t been aware of Carolina’s extensive success in other sports.

“It was just awesome being able to turn on a football game and see them succeeding, turn on basketball games,” Lancellotti said. “It was an all-around great athletic school. That kind of turned my eyes to this school over any other one. And then once I got on campus, that was a different story. I was like, ‘Alright, the campus matches the athletics.’

“Once I got here, I remember looking at my dad and being like, ‘I don’t know what else I’d be looking for. This has everything on the checklist.’”

PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES For more information on how you can impact the lives of Carolina student-athletes, visit ramsclub.com. ramsclub.com 17

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C A R O L I N A E V E R YWE A R Rams Club members like to wear their Carolina Blue, and they’ll wear it all over the US and the world. If you have a photo of you in your Carolina gear in front of notable landmarks in the US and abroad, send them our way to be a part of Carolina EveryWear!

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To have your photo included: -Send your photo digitally to bornandbred@ramsclub.com.

-Identify everyone in your photo and the location of the photo.

Here are the “Rules”: -At least one person in the photo has to be a Rams Club member -You must be wearing Carolina gear -You must be in front of a notable landmark (sorry, as cool as Kenan Stadium and the Smith Center are, they don’t qualify).

SHOW US YOUR COLORS!

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1) Dustin Duke of Raleigh, NC, in Eze, France; 2) Shelly Greer of Raleigh, NC, (second from left) with Sherry Wathern, Courtney Ryon & Nancy Parrish on the Dutch Waterways in The Netherlands; 3) Jennifer Farrell Chandler of Durham, NC, in Haiti; 4) Hank Parfitt of Fayetteville, NC, diving on the sunken German U-352 sub off the coast of North Carolina (“You can’t imagine how difficult it was to keep that darn (hat) on!”); 5) Caroline Klompmaker & her dad, Jay Klompmaker, both of Chapel Hill, at opening day for the MLB in Miami, FL; 6) Robert Moore of Zebulon, NC, at the Royal Palace in Madrid, Spain; 7) Wes Hite of Black Mountain, NC, rocking the Carolina patch while deployed in Erbil, Iraq; 8) Sydney Ehinger & her dad, Rob Ehinger, both of Greensboro, NC, at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany; 9) Jessica & Matt Simmons of WinstonSalem, NC, in the Castle District of Prague, Czech Republic; 10) Steve & Jennie Koontz of Lexington, NC, and Ashelyn & David Stroud of Chapel Hill at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah; 11) Deuce Geer (son of Ed & Rachel Geer) of Chapel Hill, NC, with Isaiah Hicks at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY; 12) A large group of touring Tar Heels in Matera, Italy; 13) Susan Lanier Bowman of Oxford, NC, with the latest family addition, Harris Watkins (son of Anna Blake Bowman Watkins) in Kiawah Island, SC; 14) Mary Fraley of Jamestown, NC, at Waimea Canyon Lookout in Hawaii; 15) John Eick of Alexandria, VA, at the summit of Flattop Mountain in Anchorage, AK; 16) Erin Owens of Charlotte, NC, at the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy; 17) Mary Catherine & Jackson Colo (children of Christian & Amber Colo) of Winston-Salem, NC

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16 17

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TAKING THE TEST BEFORE A COACH CAN RECRUIT THE NEXT TAR HEEL GREAT, THEY HAVE TO PASS AN OCCASIONALLY TRICKY ANNUAL NCAA TEST Shortly after student-athletes finish final exams in May, it’s test time for Tar Heel coaches and sports administrators.

Each year, the NCAA requires all head and assistant coaches to pass the NCAA Coaches Certification (Recruiting) Test. At UNC, the exam is also administered to volunteer assistants and non-coaches who have sport-specific responsibilities. It’s partially a formality for the coaches, who live every day with the numerous rules and regulations. As you would expect from very competitive personalities, they not only want to make 100 percent on the test—they also want to be the first one finished (Roy Williams has been known to give a little fist pump upon leaving the test room first).

But the rules aren’t necessarily common sense. The following ten questions and answers are taken directly from the NCAA test. Remember: coaches have to make 80 percent to “pass” and be able to continue off-campus recruiting activities.

Try the test yourself! Answers and explanations are on page 23.

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1

An institution's football coach's hometown is in the state of California. The coach now coaches at a Division I institution in the state of Texas. The coach would like to host an institutional football camp in his hometown in California. It would be permissible for the coach to host this camp in his hometown.

TRUE

2

3

4

FALSE

Institutional athletics department staff members may do which of the following involving any recruiting or scouting service?

A

ENDORSE A RECRUITING OR SCOUTING SERVICE.

B

SERVE AS A CONSULTANT TO A RECRUITING OR SCOUTING SERVICE.

C

PARTICIPATE ON AN ADVISORY PANEL FOR A RECRUITING OR SCOUTING SERVICE.

D

GRANT AN INTERVIEW TO A RECRUITING OR SCOUTING SERVICE.

When is it permissible to make unlimited telephone calls to a prospect in conjunction with the prospect’s unofficial visit?

A

ONLY DURING THE DURATION OF THE VISIT.

B

ANYTIME ON THE DAY OF THE VISIT.

C

STARTING THE DAY BEFORE THE VISIT THROUGH THE END OF THE VISIT.

D

STARTING FIVE DAYS BEFORE THE VISIT THROUGH THE END OF THE VISIT.

For purposes of Bylaw 13, which of the following causes a prospective student-athlete to become a RECRUITED prospective student-athlete?

A

THE PROSPECTIVE STUDENT-ATHLETE MAKES AN UNOFFICIAL VISIT TO THE INSTITUTION.

B

THE PROSPECTIVE STUDENT-ATHLETE IS EVALUATED ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION BY THE INSTITUTION.

C

THE PROSPECTIVE STUDENT ATHLETE HAD AN ARRANGED, IN-PERSON, OFFCAMPUS ENCOUNTER WITH A MEMBER OF INSTITUTIONAL COACHING STAFF.

D

THE PROSPECTIVE STUDENT-ATHLETE RECEIVES A CAMP BROCHURE FROM A COACH. ramsclub.com 21

5

Three days into preseason practice and before the start of the academic term, a student-athlete decides she has made a big mistake and wants to attend a different Division I institution. The student-athlete is considered to be a transfer.

TRUE

6

8

22

FALSE

A representative of an institution’s athletics interests (i.e., booster) is permitted to have a prearranged contact with a prospective student-athlete who is making an OFFICIAL or UNOFFICIAL visit to the institution’s campus.

TRUE BORN & BRED

A

HAS PARTICIPATED IN OR HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF AN AGENCY OR ORGANIZATION PROMOTING THE INSTITUTION`S INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS PROGRAM.

B

IS KNOWN OR SHOULD HAVE BEEN KNOWN BY THE INSTITUTION TO BE ASSISTING, OR HAS BEEN REQUESTED (BY ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT STAFF) TO ASSIST, IN THE RECRUITMENT OF PROSPECTS.

C

IS KNOWN OR SHOULD HAVE BEEN KNOWN

BY THE INSTITUTION TO BE ASSISTING OR TO HAVE ASSISTED IN PROVIDING BENEFITS TO ENROLLED STUDENTATHLETES OR THEIR FAMILIES.

D

ALL OF THE ABOVE

FALSE

In men’s basketball, for purposes of the tryout rule AND regulations related to camps and clinics, a prospective studentathlete is an individual who has started classes for the 7th grade.

TRUE

Which of the following classifies an individual as a representative of athletics interests (i.e., booster)?

FALSE

It is permissible for an institution to hire a high school women’s basketball coach as a volunteer in a summer camp if the institution is recruiting one of the high school women’s basketball prospective student-athletes.

TRUE

7

9

FALSE

10

Which of the following is TRUE regarding general correspondence that may be sent to a prospective student-athlete?

A

DESIGN AND CONTENT IS LIMITED TO ONE INSTITUTIONAL LOGO.

B

THE SIZE OF THE PRINTED MATERIAL MAY NOT EXCEED 8 1/2 X 11 INCHES WHEN OPENED IN FULL.

C

THE ENVELOPE USED TO SEND THE GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE MAY NOT EXCEED 8 1/2 X 11 INCHES.

D

ALL ATTACHMENTS MUST BE IN BLACK INK ON WHITE PAPER.

ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS: 1

ANSWER: FALSE

2

ANSWER: D

3

4

5

NCAA Bylaw 13.12.1.2.2 states that in football, an institution's camp or clinic must be conducted on the institution's campus or in facilities regularly used by the institution for practice or competition.

NCAA Bylaw 11.3.2.5 does not permit institutional athletics department staff members to endorse, serve as consultants or participate on advisory panels for any recruiting or scouting service involving prospective student-athletes.

6

ANSWER: FALSE

7

ANSWER: TRUE

8

ANSWER: FALSE

9

ANSWER: D

10

ANSWER: B

ANSWER: C

NCAA Bylaw 13.1.3.3.2 permits institutional staff members to make unlimited telephone calls to a prospective studentathlete (or those individuals accompanying him or her) beginning the day immediately preceding the prospective student-athlete’s unofficial visit until the conclusion of the visit.

If more than the otherwise permissible number of calls or if otherwise impermissible calls occur under this exception and a scheduled unofficial visit is canceled due to circumstances beyond the control of the prospective student-athlete or the institution (e.g., trip is canceled by the prospective studentathlete, inclement weather conditions), such calls are not considered institutional violations.

ANSWER: C

NCAA Bylaw 13.02.14.1 defines specific actions by staff members or athletics representatives that cause a prospective studentathlete to become a recruited prospective student-athlete at that institution. Specifically, providing the prospective studentathlete with an official visit, having an arranged, in-person, off-campus encounter with the prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete’s family members, or issuing a National Letter of Intent or written offer of athletically related financial aid to the prospective student-athlete.

ANSWER: TRUE

NCAA Bylaw 14.5.2 defines the conditions under which a student will be considered a transfer, which includes a student who has reported for a regular squad practice (including practice or conditioning activities that occur prior to certification), announced by the institution through any member of its athletics department staff, prior to the beginning of any semester. Participation only in picture-day activities would not constitute “regular practice.”

NCAA Bylaw 11.4.3, which is applicable to women’s basketball, states that during a two-year period before a recruited prospective student-athlete’s anticipated enrollment and a two-year period after the recruited prospective student-athlete’s actual enrollment, an institution may not employ (either on a salaried or volunteer basis) or enter into a contract for future employment with an individual associated with the recruited prospective studentathlete in any athletics department non-coaching staff position or in a strength and conditioning staff position.

NCAA Bylaw 13.11.1.2 states that in men’s basketball, for purposes of the tryout rule, the phrase “prospective studentathlete” includes any individual who has started classes for the 7th grade and is not enrolled in the member institution at the time of the practice or test therein described.

NCAA Bylaw 13.1.2.1 specifies that all in-person, on- and offcampus recruiting contacts with a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete’s family members may be made only by authorized institutional staff members. Such contact, as well as correspondence and telephone calls, by representatives of an institution’s athletics interests is prohibited.

NCAA Bylaw 13.02.15 defines a “representative of the institution’s athletics interests” as an individual, independent agency, corporate entity (e.g., apparel or equipment manufacturer) or other organization who is known (or who should have been known) by a member of the institution’s executive or athletics administration to have engaged in items A-C above, or has made financial contributions to the athletics department and/or an athletics booster organization of that institution, or been involved otherwise in promoting the institution’s athletics program.

NCAA Bylaw 13.4.1.5 states that an institution may provide general correspondence to a prospective student-athlete, his or her family members, coaches or any other individual responsible for teaching or directing an activity in which a prospective student-athlete is involved except that the size of the printed material may not exceed 8 ½ by 11 inches when opened in full. There are no restrictions on the design or content of general correspondence and attachments. There are no restrictions on the design or content of an envelope used to send general correspondence and attachments, except that the size of the envelope may not exceed 9 by 12 inches.

ramsclub.com 23

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RECRUITING

TURNING VISITS ANGELA KIRKPATRICK’S MULTIFACETED JOB IS DESIGNED

Since joining Carolina football in October, Angela Kirkpatrick estimates that she’s coordinated approximately 200 campus visits for potential Tar Heel football prospects. As the director of on-campus recruiting—a football staff position that didn’t even exist five years ago—she’s constantly thinking about how to leave a good impression and make Carolina a memorable part of a prospect’s recruiting process. We asked the Tennessee graduate, a journalism major who spent six seasons involved with the Vols’ recruiting efforts, to describe some of the most rewarding moments—and some of the challenges—in her job. Photos by Andy Mead and Jeffrey Camarati

“

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

“One of the first things to remember about on-campus recruiting is

you only get one shot to make a first impression. When they come to campus, you may not get a second chance to host them, so it has to

be as memorable as possible. You are always, always, always thinking

about customer service. I want Carolina to be the most customer-friendly

school we can possibly create. When someone is here on a visit, we don’t want them to have to worry about anything. This place is amazing, and we want that to come through when we talk to people.”

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CONSTANT OUTPUT

“My job is to know everything about a kid before he

gets here. I do a lot of research, and I talk to a lot of kids and families. I know the names of their parents and I know details about them. Our coaches are

talking to them regularly, and they’ll pass on some

of that information. Social media is big, because kids get a chance to tell their whole stories there. I

pay attention to that. That’s also a challenge for us, because kids want to put out things like graphics on social media, so we want to make sure we have a constant output to meet that demand.”

INTO COMMITMENTS TO MAKE SURE PROSPECTS CONNECT ON THEIR OFFICIAL VISIT TO CAROLINA CAROLINA FAMILY

“We want kids to leave here understanding that this is a family. The people

make the place, and kids can feel that when they get on campus. They interact

with the current players and they feel like brothers. The current players are our main ambassadors for the program. They’re so important to what we do. They are where our visitors aspire to be, so they have a big impact.”

PICTURE THIS

“A typical campus visit has several parts. You’ll sit down with some of the coaches and meet with other people

who have a direct role in daily life—our director of studentathlete development, our chaplain, people like that. We want them to explore campus, see the academic side,

take a campus and facility tour. We try to get everything

we possibly can into one day so if they don’t get to come back, they’ve seen most everything. And we want to do a

photo shoot with them, to let them put on a jersey and some gear so they can picture themselves at Carolina and what it would be like to play here.”

MAKING MEMORIES

“My job is basically event planning. You have to get creative when it comes to new things that other people haven’t done,

and you have to be willing to be part of every part of bringing kids to campus. There are nights I’ve washed hundreds of

dishes and there are nights I’ve set up and broken down huge rooms. We have a staff of nearly a half-dozen people,

and we’re constantly thinking about ways to try to make a visit better or more memorable. What all of us love about

this job is it’s always a learning experience. You get to talk to so many different people and hear their stories.”

ramsclub.com 27

BY LEE PACE // GRAPHICS BY JORDAN SAIN

ALWAYS

ONLINE ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL RECRUITING

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BORN & BRED

TODAY’S RECRUITING LANDSCAPE IS A WILD WILD WEST WHERE TWEETS AND DIRECT MESSAGES PREVAIL. Notes are scribbled both with an Apple Pencil on a tablet computer as well as old-fashioned pen on paper. You have sophisticated data management systems that allow a coach at a rest stop on Interstate 40 to quickly look up a prospect’s grandmother’s name and his latest grade in 11th grade English.

To write, to call, to tweet, to send a direct message? That is the question.

Trees across the land are breathing a sigh of relief; not nearly so many are being felled today to help college football recruiters manage information and communicate their pitch. So much of it all is phone-tophone.

“It would be interesting to ask kids how much paper mail they genuinely open,” says Luke Paschall, who just finished his first spring recruiting season as the Tar Heels’ receivers coach. “They get so much mail.

One thing they will open is a DM [direct message] on Twitter. It’s right there in front of them. Their phone is always in their hand, it’s always connected to them.”

“It’s an interesting dynamic,” adds Chris Kapilovic, the Tar Heels’ line coach and offensive coordinator. “A lot of kids today

are more comfortable texting than talking on the phone. Now kids all have video games on their phones and music on their headsets. With some, social skills and faceto-face communication is a dying art.”

Head coach Larry Fedora wields his phone minute-by-minute to communicate with his staff and prospects. Should he leave it at home by mistake, he’ll make a quick dash to retrieve it.

“You can’t get anything done without it,” he says wryly.

Yet he also spent considerable time in early May crafting hand-written notes to the mothers of key 2019 recruiting targets that were mailed for Mother’s Day along with photos of the kid and his mother.

“The parents like the personal notes,” Fedora says. “They appreciate you took the time to write. Kids? Most of them don’t want a hard copy of anything any more. They want it immediately on their phones.”

Putting it all in perspective is John Mark Hamilton, the Tar Heels’ director of player personnel who came to Chapel Hill from Appalachian State in the summer of 2017.

On a shelf in his office in Kenan Football Center is a spiral-bound, three-ring notebook

of the kind that used to be the information warehouse for assistant coaches going on the road in April and May. And running on an iPad Pro in front of him is a program called Jump Forward, a database that houses all of the staff’s recruiting information—prospect contact information, parents’ names and numbers, game tape, statistics, coaches’ skill evaluations, academic records and an account of every coach’s communication with that prospect, from face-to-face visits to phone calls.

Hamilton used the Jump Forward program at Appalachian and recommended to Fedora that Carolina install and use it as well. He agreed and the staff has just finished its first spring recruiting period using the program. Hamilton nods toward the notebook: “I tell our coaches, the minute I put that in their hands, it’s out-of-date. This is an efficiency deal. It improves the speed of everything we do.”

Cases in point from May: As a new staff member, one of Paschall’s priorities during spring recruiting was to visit every school in his geographical footprint and introduce himself to the head coach. He would have had the wrong name to ask for

ramsclub.com 29

RECRUITING

at two schools as firings and hirings had occurred during the spring.

But by checking Jump Forward, the information had been logged into the pages for each school with updated information and he knew who to call on at each school, saving the embarrassment of asking to see Coach Jones when Coach Smith was now in charge.

Another new assistant coach, running backs coach Robert Gillespie, evaluated a prospect one week at a school in Paschall’s area before Paschall had visited that school. Gillespie wrote his evaluation in the Jump Forward program, uploaded it and it was there for Paschall to read and have as background before he visited the school.

“The program allows us to be much more organized,” Fedora says.

“It’s more convenient and user-friendly for the coaches when they’re on the road. They’re able to do things from their phones or iPads that everyone can instantly see. If I’m calling a kid, I can see everything about that kid on one computer screen—every evaluation, every talking point that a coach has had with that kid.”

Social media has become the air that everyone breathes, particularly teenagers. Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram are the most popular venues. Incoming receiver Jordyn Adams is following nearly 1,500 individuals and entities on Twitter and has 10,000 following him back. Linebacker Matthew Flint took to Twitter in mid-January to explain to Tennessee fans he “never quit” on the program, but the firing of Butch Jones forced him to open his recruiting up and led to him landing at Chapel Hill. Florida receiver Antoine Green committed to Carolina in February and gave the prayer sign and “Shoutout to all the people who unfollowed me” after he opted for the Tar Heels over

30

BORN & BRED

Florida State and Georgia.

Andre Smith, the linebacker who just left Carolina after his junior season for the NFL, used Twitter extensively beginning in 2011 prior to his arrival at Carolina in the spring of 2016. He says that Twitter played an integral role in winnowing and eventually choosing the Tar Heels over teams such as Miami, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

“There are no restrictions on sending DMs to coaches and them hitting you back,” Smith said. “You could stay in touch with who you wanted to communicate with. You could also go to the university’s athletic Twitter page and do your own research. I learned a lot on my own just doing that.”

Tommy Thigpen joined Fedora’s staff in January as safeties coach and compares the modern era with when he was being recruited in the late 1980s by schools such as Carolina and Clemson to play linebacker.

Three decades ago, the Internet didn’t exist, and early mobile phones were the size of bricks and were mounted on a holster built onto the floor of a car. One decade ago, Twitter was just being launched.

“I HAVE A RULE THAT I TRY NOT TO GO TO SLEEP AT NIGHT UNLESS I HAVE CAUGHT UP ON MY TIMELINE.” “Now the kids are their own publicist,” says Thigpen. “It used to be where a guy from Rivals or Scout could deliver a kid’s message and the kid had to get their message out through them. Now Twitter is giving the kids a platform. The kids used to call those scouting services. Now they market themselves. They put their own pictures out and their lists of top schools and offers out. The social media part of it has changed tremendously.”

Hamilton and the coaches will often initiate contact with a high school player by following him on Twitter. If he follows you back, you can begin a dialogue with the DM function. If a prospect posts unsavory content or retweets messages in bad taste, the coaches see the red flag. If a target is forever tweeting material about a rival school, it’s perhaps smart to back off and look elsewhere.

Managing all the content on social media is a job in itself.

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RECRUITING

“I have a rule that I try not to go to sleep at night unless I have caught up on my timeline,” Kapilovic says of his Twitter feed. “Sometimes it’s harder than others. It’s a lot to keep up with—what a kid is tweeting, who they’re following, what they’re retweeting. It can take a lot of time. If can overwhelm you if you’re not organized and don’t stay on top of it.”

Jordan Sain is the football staff’s graphic designer who churns out much of the visual material used for printed mailings and social media.

He’ll create a wide range of pitches that show prospects in a variety of settings—their face superimposed, for example, in the front of a mansion that an NFL player might own accented with stats extolling the Tar Heel program’s ability to put players in the pros. The Jordan brand “Jumpman” logo appears in many graphics as well.

The folder stored on Sain’s computer after the 2018 signing class was put to bed measured 16.1 gigabytes of data, 4,177 files and 243 folders, each folder for one prospect.

“The creative process is brainstorming, using pop culture, movies, music, apparel ads, shoes/sneakers, you name it,” Sain says. “Anything

32

BORN & BRED

you can help to identify with young people you use to your advantage.

Luckily for us, we have Jumpman, which resonates really well with young people. They are becoming more aware of fashion design and the culture around that.”

The football staff in early summer added a director of creative services to coordinate the staff’s use of social media and the creation of content. In recent years, the effort had been a compilation of ideas and execution from the coaches, Sain, recruiting support personnel and the athletic department’s media and communications office.

“Now we’ll have one person whose job is to be the thinker, the idea man, the creator of our entire branding and messaging campaign,” says Fedora. “I would like for our coaches to not have to sit around thinking about what we can send out. We’ve had a lot of people from different departments involved.

“But this new position will allow us to move at a different speed.”

Indeed, in today’s high-tech world of recruiting, there’s just one speed—warp speed.

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RECRUITING

34

BORN & BRED

PROUD PARENTS

THEIR SON MADE ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE KICKS IN CAROLINA HISTORY, AND NOW CHRIS AND VICTORIA WEILER ARE MAKING THEIR OWN SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON TAR HEEL ATHLETICS

BY SPEED HALLMAN PHOTOS BY JEFFREY CAMARATI

I

It was, Chris Weiler said, the kick heard around the world. On Oct. 1, 2016, with four seconds remaining on the clock and Carolina down by one in Tallahassee, his son Nick nailed a 54-yard field goal to beat Florida State 37-35. “People came out of the woodwork that I haven’t heard from in decades,” Chris said about the aftermath of the game.

Nick Weiler earned his degree, left Chapel Hill and is now pursuing opportunities in the NFL, but his parents, Chris and Victoria, still follow and support the Heels. They recently made a major gift to help build head coach Larry Fedora’s top priority, the indoor football practice facility. It’s the anchor of the Football Practice Complex taking shape near the heart of the campus.

The indoor facility will boast a 120-yard synthetic turf field, enabling game preparation for Fedora’s squads in all conditions. Outdoor grass

and synthetic practice fields, spaces for strength and conditioning, facilities for sports medicine and connections to the new Soccer and Lacrosse Stadium round out the project. A new walkway through the complex will provide a much-needed pedestrian thoroughfare between central and southeast campus. Construction started last spring and the project is due to open in mid-August.

“The new indoor practice facility makes a clear statement to recruits and their families that we are committed to providing the best experience possible within the Carolina football program,” Fedora said. “With the indoor facility and the two new practice fields, we will have first-class facilities that will improve our ability to attract and develop first-class student-athletes.”

The Weiler family knows what it takes to attract and develop first-class student-athletes, and they understand the need for first-class facilities.

Chris played football for the U.S. Naval Academy, then coached high school football for 12 years. As a high school coach he learned what it was like to compete against schools with better facilities. He also learned about college recruiting by hosting the college coaches who came to see his players.

Victoria, a standout high school athlete, was a football team manager at UVA. Their daughter Katherine captained the soccer team at Pitt, and their son Matthew played soccer at Kentucky and Virginia. Youngest son Nick was with the Heels from the 2013 through the 2016 seasons, playing in 41 games, posting 273 points and making the

ramsclub.com 35

RECRUITING

Academic All-ACC Honor roll.

The Weilers love everything about Chapel Hill – town, gown and Tar Heel athletics – and when they wanted to make a significant gift to the Rams Club they asked Nick how they could have the greatest impact. “Nick said with the weather and the field conditions between November and March, the quality of what they were able to do was nowhere near what it could have been,” Victoria said. “If you really want to develop and be the best football player, you have to have quality practices through most of the year. Kids are not able to work if the field conditions are substandard.”

“In order to go toe to toe with your competition, you have to be able to practice in inclement weather,” Chris said. “Most people don’t realize that this is where those kids spend every waking minute out of the classroom.

This is where they live, and once they’re in the

36

BORN & BRED

“

“The new indoor practice facility makes a clear statement to recruits and their families that we are committed to providing the best experience possible within the Carolina football program.

With the indoor facility and the two new practice fields, we will have first-class facilities that will improve our ability to attract and develop first-class student-athletes.”

program this is how you get them to compete at the highest levels.”

He and Victoria agree that building the facility is essential if Carolina is going to compete at the Power 5 level. “This is the table stakes – the ante – if you want to play the game,” he said. “You have to have this at a minimum.”

The Weilers like the location of the practice facility, near the center of the campus, and the pedestrian throughway it offers for students and faculty crossing that section of campus.

“We love the University of Pittsburgh,” Chris said, “but their football team goes off campus, across the river, to practice. It’s completely disconnected from student life and university life, and certainly some kids will never go there because they have to take a bus to practice every day.”

On the other hand, UNC’s central practice

location maintains a daily and visible presence for athletics on campus, further integrating sports programs into the life of the UNC community. “It keeps the students and the student-athletes together,” Victoria said. “They see each other walking by, every day.”

“Carolina did such a beautiful, masterful job,” Chris said. “They built it into the fabric of the campus, which is fantastic.”

The Weilers committed $500,000 to the project. They made a $75,000 cash gift and gave the remainder by transferring highly appreciated stock, resulting in a tax deduction and eliminating taxes on the capital gains.

“We love giving back,” Chris said. “We are super proud of the program, we love the University and the people are just fantastic.

We are blessed to be able to give back, and for us it was an easy decision.”

Victoria said they invested in Carolina football because quality and excellence are the expectation in Chapel Hill. “You have a top-notch university, an amazingly beautiful campus, a town with great restaurants, great entertainment, great Olympic sports and a top basketball program. It doesn’t seem right to not have an equally top football program,” she said. “We have to help them compete for the top recruits, and not be dismissed by them out of hand because the facilities aren’t there.”

Chris, a wide receiver for Navy, said he envisions quarterbacks and wideouts running their routes in the indoor facility on an otherwise foul January day. The new facility will make that kind of consistent, focused work possible every day, he said, and daily effort is critical to the program’s success. “You just can’t move the needle without an indoor facility,” he said.

UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham said success in recruiting and on game day is made possible by donors such as the Weilers. “Recruiting talented students is the lifeblood of all of our athletic programs,” he said. “With this renewed commitment to expanding and improving our facilities, including the construction of the new indoor practice facility for our football program, the Rams Club is helping to ensure that we can recruit and compete at the highest level possible.”

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FIRST PERSON

“Finding the sticking point”

I 38

know what the kid will turn out to be until they get to In my opinion, Mack Brown is still the greatest recruiter campus. We don’t know until they get here how hard they’re of all time. going to work or how close they will come to their potential.

He recruited me when I was coming out of high school in That’s why we have to learn more about them than just 1992 and to this day, he still sends birthday cards to not just their star rating. In the year 2018, a kid is going to tell you me, but also to my wife. He has an incredible memory. There pretty much everything he does through his social media. are lots of different aspects to recruiting, but in the end, there Then my job is to do my homework. I still has to be that human element and have to watch the tape, and then I have face to face interaction. It comes down to ask some of the hard questions. I to when you meet someone, do you feel have to talk to the school resource like they are a genuine person? Mack was always the best at that. When you “You want guys who love the game officer and the assistant coaches.

There are some kids who are spent time around him, you felt good of football and play with a sense of traumatized when their recruiting is about yourself. He made me feel like I purpose. There are an abundance over because it can be like a drug to was part of his family.

There are lots of ways to leave that of football players in this world. Our get all of that attention. Kids who can’t feeling with someone you meet. As job is to find the ones who fit the leave that behind can have a tough time in college. You hear a lot about certain someone who recruits young men to culture we have at Carolina.” players in college but are never quite play for North Carolina now, I know sure how well they can actually play. I you want to leave a prospect with a don’t hear that much about Myles Dorn sticking point—something that stays with them when you’re but I see him all the time in the film not in front of them anymore. It’s not a coincidence that room. He doesn’t get covered your favorite food happened to be on the menu or your in the national media but favorite music was playing when you walked through the he is highly skilled and he door. You’re always thinking about how you can make a kid is committed to being a remember your name when you’re not with them anymore. football player. That’s the Mack Brown was one of the best I’ve ever seen at that. kind of player I want to In addition to learning from Coach Brown, I learned quite find for North Carolina. a bit from guys like Donnie Thompson and Ken Mack. They taught me how to evaluate players. They taught me to pay attention to high character guys who are super talented, even if they’re playing out of position. Quan Sturdivant and Bruce Carter didn’t play linebacker in high school. But you have to be able to project what they’re going to do in college.

Maybe you know they’re not a quarterback at the next level.

But if they’re a super athlete and extremely talented, you can find a place for them. You want guys who love the game of football and play with a sense of purpose. There is an abundance of football players in this world. Our job is to find the ones who fit the culture we have at Carolina.

One of the hardest things about recruiting is that it’s all about human development. We don’t know for certain who will be the best player. Every sports league in the world screws that up occasionally. There were no star ratings when Natrone Means or Julius Peppers came along. Today we have to put a star rating on every single prospect, and if a kid is a two- or three-star, nobody cares. If they’re a four- or five-star they get treated like they’re Prada.

But no matter how many stars they have, you don’t really TOMMY THIGPEN Football Assistant Coach Illustration by Jason McCorkle

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