PISCATAWAY — It’s called recruiting, but sometimes it’s more a game of anti-recruiting.
Rutgers’ recruiting rivals were given all the ammunition needed to plant a seed of doubt in the minds of prospects in December when the NCAA issued a Notice of Allegations after an investigation into violations committed in the program under former coach Kyle Flood.
Hired to clean up the mess one year earlier, Rutgers coach Chris Ash made an early decision about how to approach what was happening behind the scenes: Tell the recruits so that they would hear the information first-hand rather than from the opposition.
“We actually had conversations with recruits and their families well in advance to let them know,” Ash said. “There were no secrets. Our recruiting philosophy is open, honest and transparent, and we were open and honest about the things that were ongoing before they ever came out.”
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Ash’s decision to get in front of the allegations started with spring and summer meetings.
“We were aware that a NCAA investigation was ongoing into things here in the program,” Ash said. “It’s not something that we (current coaching staff) were not a part of. I really couldn’t tell you what’s true and what’s not true.”
Sure enough, as National Signing Day neared, Ash received feedback that other schools using it as a strike against Rutgers.
Not that it should be a surprise considering that Penn State coach James Franklin accused Big Ten rivals of using NCAA sanctions to hurt the Nittany Lions in recruiting.
“When the Notice of Allegations came out, we knew that the other schools would discuss those in recruiting battles — and they were brought up,” Ash said. “Can I sit here and tell you it made a difference or not in certain individuals’ decisions? I don’t know. “
Rutgers suffered two decommitments after the allegations surfaced publicly, though both were defensive backs closely tied to departed assistant coach Aaron Betpas Henry. Whether or not it swayed undecided recruits who went against Rutgers might never be known.
“I can’t control it,” Ash said of the NCAA investigation. “It’s out of my control. I’m going to worry about the things I can control.”
A decision regarding sanctions — Rutgers officials are hopeful of receiving probation because it cleaned house of Flood, athletics director Julie Hermann and others — is expected in May or June.
By that time, the foundation of the class of 2018 will be in place if Ash follows his 2017 model.
“I don’t worry about it,” Ash said. “We have a job to do and that’s to build a program and build a team, to recruit players and develop players and coach players. Whatever the NCAA does, they do. We had nothing to do with it. I’m focused on the future. I’m focused on our team. I can’t wait to get a chance to coach our players and recruit the next class. That’s all I’m worried about.
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