Florida high school football: College coaching changes create uncertainty for recruits

The college coaching carousel is starting to spin, which means some senior football players who have been committed for months are about to start the recruiting process all over again.

Texas A&M, Michigan State, Mississippi State and Syracuse already have made coaching hires in the past week. Those moves already have sent shock waves through the state as Mike Elko left Duke for Texas A&M. Elko and his Duke staff had commitments from Florida defensive linemen Preston Watson (Seminole) and Ryan Daly (Venice). Texas A&M currently has a commitment from safety Jordan Pride (Blountstown), who committed to the Aggies when Jimbo Fisher was the coach.

Other colleges such as Indiana and Houston fired their coaches and are searching for a new coach. Indiana had a lot of success recruiting the state under Tom Allen, but there’s no way of knowing how his replacement will approach the state. Miramar edge rusher Shamar Meikle decommitted from the Hoosiers on Sunday, the day Allen’s firing was officially announced.

While coaching changes can create confusion and nervous excitement for a fan base, it’s even more magnified for a 17- or 18-year-old who is trying to figure out his future.

Here are some things recruits have to consider as the coaching carousel spins.

Coaching changes affect more than the head coach

The head coach is the face of the program and the headline when he is hired or fired, but even the best head coach isn’t recruiting on his own. For the vast majority of recruits, the position coach is the primary recruiter and a big reason why the player committed. When the assistant's job security is in question, recruits (rightfully) get nervous. Unless an assistant has long ties to a school (think Florida State defensive tackles coach Odell Haggins, who's been on the Seminoles staff since 1994) or has a reputation as an elite recruiter, it’s unlikely he survives a coaching change. Assistant coaches also may want to leave for a better — or just different — opportunity. That leaves a prospective player with a lot to consider.

Recruits may not fit at their old coach’s new school

Maybe a player has such a strong relationship with a coaching staff that he wants to go wherever that staff is hired. It’s definitely not that simple. Consider Michigan State’s new coach Jonathan Smith, who left Oregon State for the Spartans job. Players he was recruiting to play for Oregon State may not be a perfect fit in the Big Ten. Not only that but Oregon State’s roster almost certainly has different needs from Michigan State. For example, Smith may have been taking a punter at Oregon State, but he doesn’t need one in this class at Michigan State. Sometimes coaches will pursue players they were recruiting at their old school, but it’s certainly not guaranteed.

Recruits may not fit with a new coaching staff

Not every player is a universal fit in every scheme or every coach’s preference. Some edge rushers perform better in a 3-4 front than a 4-3. Not every offensive coordinator has a good feel for how to use a speedy but undersized receiver. So, even if a player currently is committed to a program and still wants to sign with that school after the coaching change, that doesn’t mean the new coaching staff feels the same way. Some coaches will let the player know they’re heading in a different direction and allow them to save face by decommitting. Other coaching staffs simply will cut off communication.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Football: How college coaching changes create uncertainty for recruits