Ahead of the Elite Eight matchup against the TCU Horned Frogs, Dawn Staley spoke on how player recruitment has changed over the years. Every program, including the South Carolina Gamecocks, has been forced to change its process.
Staley said that earlier is used to be about the quality of a program, the coaches, winning potential, and getting a good degree. Players used to look for the benefits that would give them the best chance of winning and getting a good degree.
Now, it’s all about money. The financial aspect of recruitment takes over everything else. Be it the new recruits or the potential transfers, the conversation revolves around how much money will be involved.
“How much is it going to cost us? That’s the conversation. You’ve got to lead with that,” she said. “Because you don’t really want to waste your time. You either are going to have enough to pay players, or you don’t. And you move on.”
Several programs have suffered because of this new trend. Teams no longer build rosters; they simply put together a group based on the money they’re able to spend. Houston Cougars Kelvin Sampson admitted earlier this season that due to a low financial ceiling, the Cougars haven’t been able to make a splash.
Staley said that offering a student-athlete anything else becomes pointless because the conversation eventually comes down to money.
“I don’t want to have to go out and get the money because you could be told no and then your back is against the wall,” she said.
Staley said that she doesn’t offer anything that she knows isn’t immediately available with the program. As difficult as it might be for a coach trying to build a roster, it helps her in the long run.
How Does Dawn Staley Recruit Players?
Money being the first topic of discussion with student athletes defeats the purpose of the program. So, Staley has her own system. While she understands everything will eventually lead to the financial aspect, she doesn’t lead with that question.
“So have you to lead — I won’t say I lead with that question, but I get to it fairly quickly. After the pleasantries are done, you have to get to the question so you’re not wasting your time and spinning your wheels on somebody that you can’t afford,” she said.
Despite the changes in the process, for Staley, her players graduating with degrees from South Carolina is part of her plan.
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