S/O @TimRiggins88.
(So... no official visits from committed prospects)
Still trying to understand your philosophies on a lot of different things. When it comes to recruiting, are you going to allow commits to make visits to other schools and can you sort of explain how you're going to handle that process?
"What's commitment mean to you? Are you married? (Yes.) Alright. So you asked your wife to marry you, right? (Yes.) Where were you when you asked your wife to marry you? (Lake Hefner). Okay, so in that moment — and what's her name? Brittany? Brittany, when you ask Brittany to marry you. Right? Was your intention after she said yes, right — so there's a commitment that takes place right? Is it to go date other women and do your thing? Johnny Gigolo? Or how'd that work for you? Did you try that? (I did not). But you waited until you were ready, though. That you knew that you knew that you knew that you knew. Right? So that's what we want to be as — hey, we're not trying to force commitment. Do not commit here until you're ready to make a commitment. Because a commitment is not a reservation. If you say ‘Hey, Brittany, you want to get married, uh, November 30. Okay, in the meantime, I'm gonna go see Sally and Michelle and Lisa. She ain’t gonna meet you there. You know, good luck on November 30. Right? So why is it any different? Like, commitment, teach young people what commitment means. Okay, what that means. And so just, I'm not gonna apologize for this. What we tell them, do not — take as many visits as you want. I think, personally, that the Oklahoma brand will stick out. You may not come here, but you're gonna really like it. Okay, you may not come here, but I'm glad you didn't if you're not ready to make a real deep seated commitment, OK, because it's a two-way street.
"All right? Some people — even the coaches are bad examples how they'll take a commitment and then three days before signing day, they call the kid that been committed for a year, ‘Oh, by the way, we don't have a spot for you because I found a guy better than you and your only opportunity to come here as if you grayshirt or pay for your own first year.’ What kind of example is that? That's bad form. But that's kind of where we are, you know, people that lack a moral compass. So I'm not gonna apologize for having a moral compass. I want to teach our young people what commitment is, what it looks like. And, you know, certainly, things can change, where maybe there's flaws in that thinking. But I know this: there's a lot of flaws and taking the commitment, making a reservation and again, go do your thing. How can I manage a roster or who else I need to offer if I got nine guys committed but they're going to Bama and Georgia and LSU and A&M? How can I manage? How can I take commitments? I don't know what my numbers are. So, just my way of trying to manage the roster to the best of my ability. And again, teach our guys, you know, ethics and morality. We can sit here and try to diminish that whole process and say, ‘Well, coaches are doing it’ — I’m just saying, we're trying to be the example of trying to do it the right way. Right, wrong or indifferent. But I tell ‘em, I don't want a guy to commit. Do. Not. Commit. Like, ‘Hey, Coach, I'm ready to commit.’ Hey, buddy, here's what commitment looks like, now. OK? I want to make sure that you know that you know that you know that you know. So when I say, ‘Will you marry me?’ you say ‘Yes’ and we get married! OK? And then we start off on the right foot and not like I dated four or five women and all of a sudden we feel some kind of way! You know, Is somebody gonna ask you to show up on November 30? Again, it's just not the right way. And it's just another way, like I said, and that's so it's not like we're trying to get all these commitments and not like guys go see places.
"I’m trying to tell them to go as many places as you can. Save us for last. We’re not trying to force anybody to commit. I would never do that. I have too much respect for the enormity of the decision. Do people change minds? Absolutely. If a guy commits and we take a commitment and the next thing you know he robs a 7-11, the commitment’s over on our side. Fair enough? Or a guy goes and he’s on life support and he can’t graduate high school because he didn’t try or didn’t show up, the commitment’s over on our side. We are very explicit. We recruit every guy the same way. We’re not going to change up on anybody or make promises or recruit this guy this way or recruit this guy that way. I’m going to be open, transparent and honest. That’s what will attract the right guys. Hopefully they will have some stick-to-itiveness about them. We can have longevity and stability as a program and stability as a recruiting class. I see these guys having all these commitments. One school in the southeast got 3 D commitments in the past week. They don’t sign for 23 until December – is that when it is? Anyway. We don’t want to be first. We want to be the right one."
"You said that kind of ‘shame on you for not letting these guys take visits.’ That’s not it. Right? I know you’re painting it the right way. People say that but nobody is trying to force the hand. As a matter of fact, we’re telling them do not commit – we’re telling mom, we’re telling dad, we don’t want to do that. We don’t want to change our mind. Again, telling them what commitment really means. It means something. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Your word’s got to mean something. Good name, right?"
(So... no official visits from committed prospects)
Still trying to understand your philosophies on a lot of different things. When it comes to recruiting, are you going to allow commits to make visits to other schools and can you sort of explain how you're going to handle that process?
"What's commitment mean to you? Are you married? (Yes.) Alright. So you asked your wife to marry you, right? (Yes.) Where were you when you asked your wife to marry you? (Lake Hefner). Okay, so in that moment — and what's her name? Brittany? Brittany, when you ask Brittany to marry you. Right? Was your intention after she said yes, right — so there's a commitment that takes place right? Is it to go date other women and do your thing? Johnny Gigolo? Or how'd that work for you? Did you try that? (I did not). But you waited until you were ready, though. That you knew that you knew that you knew that you knew. Right? So that's what we want to be as — hey, we're not trying to force commitment. Do not commit here until you're ready to make a commitment. Because a commitment is not a reservation. If you say ‘Hey, Brittany, you want to get married, uh, November 30. Okay, in the meantime, I'm gonna go see Sally and Michelle and Lisa. She ain’t gonna meet you there. You know, good luck on November 30. Right? So why is it any different? Like, commitment, teach young people what commitment means. Okay, what that means. And so just, I'm not gonna apologize for this. What we tell them, do not — take as many visits as you want. I think, personally, that the Oklahoma brand will stick out. You may not come here, but you're gonna really like it. Okay, you may not come here, but I'm glad you didn't if you're not ready to make a real deep seated commitment, OK, because it's a two-way street.
"All right? Some people — even the coaches are bad examples how they'll take a commitment and then three days before signing day, they call the kid that been committed for a year, ‘Oh, by the way, we don't have a spot for you because I found a guy better than you and your only opportunity to come here as if you grayshirt or pay for your own first year.’ What kind of example is that? That's bad form. But that's kind of where we are, you know, people that lack a moral compass. So I'm not gonna apologize for having a moral compass. I want to teach our young people what commitment is, what it looks like. And, you know, certainly, things can change, where maybe there's flaws in that thinking. But I know this: there's a lot of flaws and taking the commitment, making a reservation and again, go do your thing. How can I manage a roster or who else I need to offer if I got nine guys committed but they're going to Bama and Georgia and LSU and A&M? How can I manage? How can I take commitments? I don't know what my numbers are. So, just my way of trying to manage the roster to the best of my ability. And again, teach our guys, you know, ethics and morality. We can sit here and try to diminish that whole process and say, ‘Well, coaches are doing it’ — I’m just saying, we're trying to be the example of trying to do it the right way. Right, wrong or indifferent. But I tell ‘em, I don't want a guy to commit. Do. Not. Commit. Like, ‘Hey, Coach, I'm ready to commit.’ Hey, buddy, here's what commitment looks like, now. OK? I want to make sure that you know that you know that you know that you know. So when I say, ‘Will you marry me?’ you say ‘Yes’ and we get married! OK? And then we start off on the right foot and not like I dated four or five women and all of a sudden we feel some kind of way! You know, Is somebody gonna ask you to show up on November 30? Again, it's just not the right way. And it's just another way, like I said, and that's so it's not like we're trying to get all these commitments and not like guys go see places.
"I’m trying to tell them to go as many places as you can. Save us for last. We’re not trying to force anybody to commit. I would never do that. I have too much respect for the enormity of the decision. Do people change minds? Absolutely. If a guy commits and we take a commitment and the next thing you know he robs a 7-11, the commitment’s over on our side. Fair enough? Or a guy goes and he’s on life support and he can’t graduate high school because he didn’t try or didn’t show up, the commitment’s over on our side. We are very explicit. We recruit every guy the same way. We’re not going to change up on anybody or make promises or recruit this guy this way or recruit this guy that way. I’m going to be open, transparent and honest. That’s what will attract the right guys. Hopefully they will have some stick-to-itiveness about them. We can have longevity and stability as a program and stability as a recruiting class. I see these guys having all these commitments. One school in the southeast got 3 D commitments in the past week. They don’t sign for 23 until December – is that when it is? Anyway. We don’t want to be first. We want to be the right one."
"You said that kind of ‘shame on you for not letting these guys take visits.’ That’s not it. Right? I know you’re painting it the right way. People say that but nobody is trying to force the hand. As a matter of fact, we’re telling them do not commit – we’re telling mom, we’re telling dad, we don’t want to do that. We don’t want to change our mind. Again, telling them what commitment really means. It means something. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Your word’s got to mean something. Good name, right?"
