Illinois's Zook Alters Strategy

Change in NCAA Recruiting Rule Limits D.C. Visit to Coaches

Ron Zook passed on the pizza and soda as he stepped before two dozen or so D.C. high school football coaches last night at Theodore Roosevelt High School in Northwest. It was time to talk red zone defense.

Because of an NCAA rule change enacted this spring, the University of Illinois coach could not indulge in one of his favorite activities -- recruiting. Zook could not watch highlights of prospective players or ask about their transcripts. Neither players nor their parents were allowed in the gym. Zook could not check players' transcripts or try to pitch his team to them -- something he has done quite well locally in recent years (Washington area players will account for roughly one-sixth of the Fighting Illini's scholarship players this coming fall).

While those topics were off limits, Zook still relished the opportunity to speak at the D.C. Coaches Clinic. It was a way to say thanks to coaches for sending so many players his way. And it was an innovative way for Zook to continue the relationship-building that he believes is essential to recruiting players.

"My deal is I want to be able to get out and get in front of coaches, talk to coaches, let them know us, sell our program, sell what we're about," Zook said.

Because of the new rule change, Zook and other division I-A football coaches are prohibited from making on-campus trips to high schools during the spring evaluation period that runs from April 15 until the end of this month. It is dubbed the "Saban Rule" after Alabama Coach Nick Saban, who last year reportedly had multiple encounters with recruits at their high schools even though on-campus contact with recruits was supposed to be avoided at all costs. In explaining the rationale for the legislation, the NCAA said it had become difficult for famous coaches to avoid contact with recruits and other students while school is in session.

According to the NCAA Web site, "This proposal will also decrease the number of needless secondary violations and a significant amount of distrust that has occurred among coaches because of the difficulty in avoiding contact with prospective student-athletes during the spring evaluation period."

With new regulations in place, college coaches are finding new ways to maintain their contact with high school coaches.

Saban, for instance, installed a webcam in the team's football offices, an Alabama spokesman confirmed, and assistant coaches, in their visits to high school campuses, are able to provide an Internet address for players to chat with Saban.

The NCAA treats webcam usage as a phone call, and while coaches may call a recruit only during the spring evaluation period, recruits can call coaches as many times as they desire. Because the recruit visits the Web site to chat with Saban, this is considered a phone call placed by the recruit.

"You go back to the intent of pulling head coaches off the road -- one part of that is the disruption [caused by having a famous coach in a high school] and part is the coach's time," said Kevin Lennon, NCAA vice president of membership services. "If you think about a Web cam and how you set that up, it is less disruptive. It is a type of phone call. It is something you can do on campus."

Zook took a different approach, saying the idea arose after he was asked to speak at his alma mater, Loudonville (Ohio) High. Many of his clinics were held in Illinois or nearby, though Zook declined to provide details about how many clinics he will hold and their locations. However, last night he was at Theodore Roosevelt and tonight he and three assistants -- including onetime Maryland assistant coach Mike Locksley, who now is the Illini's offensive coordinator -- will speak at a clinic at Suitland High.

"This is not a recruiting deal," Zook said. "There are guys here I've never laid eyes on. They're going to get a better feel for me and what I'm about. It helps the coaches, too, when Coach Locksley comes in this area. They're going to feel better about giving him all the information we need in terms of making an evaluation."

Local high school coaches doubted whether last night's clinic would affect Illinois' recruiting efforts locally, noting that the ones responsible for making college choices -- players and their parents -- were not present.

Still, some administrators wonder whether the clinic violates the spirit of the new legislation -- although Lennon stressed that any call to amend the legislation further would have to come from membership.

"It seems like it's sort of a way to get around this no-evaluation rule in the spring," said Jim Muldoon, associate commissioner for the Pacific-10 Conference. "Our rules expert here thinks if this is something that becomes common, the NCAA may interpret it as saying this is not permissible."