Spent some time over the weekend with my brother and his friend who is pretty dialed in on the high school/aau/recruiting side of things. He brought something up that I thought was interesting regarding what comes next after Ace & Dylan and where recruiting might go. He said he heard from someone that some other programs are telling some bigger recruits that “the coaches recruiting you at RU won’t be there to coach you”. Namely saying that B Knight and potentially others will be gone after this season (assuming they mean he’ll get a head coaching gig). I wouldn’t normally post this since it’s from a friend of a friend and I haven’t personally heard this from anyone else, but figured I’d post as it is pretty interesting and not crazy.
Negative recruiting
- Thread starter ouchmyknee
- Start date
I’d say these kids can be easily influenced so sometimes they can just flat out lie to put doubt in these kids minds however these coaches resumes with recruiting speaks for themselves. This is the game and I’m sure the folks at Rutgers hears about these things happening
Coaches leaving holds true for all successful schools but am sure negative recruiting highly prevalent. Would think NIL is biggest issue to land top recruits and outside unique opportunity with Dylan and Ace, challenging for RU to compete with blue bloods and deep pocket schools.
Bardo ended his B.Knight interview with this:
"Ladies & gentlemen, now you understand why Associate Head Coach Brandin Knight is one of the picks to be the next head coach at some Power 5 program because he's got the goods, he understands his guys..."
And B. Knight was grinnin' ear to eat when Bardo said that. So yeah, it's out there and it's known that his value as an assistant has risen tremendously with his ability to secure Ace, Dylan, etc. And if he does get an offer and move on, we could be at risk of him trying to take TJ and Smoke with him, although I'd hope TJ would stay loyal to his guy Pike since they go way back to his GDub playing days.
"Ladies & gentlemen, now you understand why Associate Head Coach Brandin Knight is one of the picks to be the next head coach at some Power 5 program because he's got the goods, he understands his guys..."
And B. Knight was grinnin' ear to eat when Bardo said that. So yeah, it's out there and it's known that his value as an assistant has risen tremendously with his ability to secure Ace, Dylan, etc. And if he does get an offer and move on, we could be at risk of him trying to take TJ and Smoke with him, although I'd hope TJ would stay loyal to his guy Pike since they go way back to his GDub playing days.
Just a different page in the negative recruiting playbook. They used to say "you'll never play in the NCAA Tournament if you go to RU". Now they're saying that the coaches are leaving. I guess that's progress.
Rutgers has been negatively recruited against for 20+ years and if you don’t think people were in Dylan and aces ear telling them the same thing you are naive.
BKnight will be a power 5 coach dinner rather than later but we are built to transition as long as Pike is here
BKnight will be a power 5 coach dinner rather than later but we are built to transition as long as Pike is here
My dream scenario would have been keeping Knight around long enough to replace Pike, but Knight's too old / Pike's too young.
I think we have been pretty lucky to hold on to Knight for as long as we have.
Maybe septegenrians like Rick Pitino now have to make their medical records available to show they will actually still be around when a recruit enters his freshman year? 😉
There will always be negative recruiting and we will inevitably lose BKnight. However on the positive side, when recruits visit they will see a sold out RAC and frenzied fanbase for every game. They will also get to hang with two of the top recruits in the country about all the good stuff with Rutgers and the staff etc. They will hopefully also get to see Rutgers highly ranked recruits names called early in the NBA Draft.
His salary as a assistant coach is very attractive without the responsibility of being a head coach.Its difficult to get a power conference head coach position without prior experience as a head coach at a lower level of competition.Hobbs had head coaching experience but went to Georgia Tech as a assistant head coach similar to Knight at Rutgers.
Hobbs and Knight are at far different points in their career and not in comparable situations, at all. Knight will get eyes from MM, potentially even HM, suitors. It's his attractive assistant salary that has fended off lower D1 programs up to this point.
Par for the course. We should be happy that Brandin is even still here. He's long overdue for a HC gig.
I echo the sentinment that Knight is the perfect replacement for Pike. It's just too bad the timing doesn't work (unless Steve somehow decides he's done with coaching after this year lol)
I echo the sentinment that Knight is the perfect replacement for Pike. It's just too bad the timing doesn't work (unless Steve somehow decides he's done with coaching after this year lol)
They were in recruits' ears about that for 30 plus years prior to Pikell's arrival.
There’s a reason Marlon Williamson has been the lead recruiter for every prospect in the ‘25 class, and I’ll leave it at that.
First, I echo the sentiment that we have been fortunate to retain Knight throughout Pikiell's tenure: A testament to Pikiell and how he must treat his assistants, to Knight's loyalty, to RU's willingness to increase his pay, and, if I guess, Knight possibly waiting for a P6 head coach position, or a HIGH MID-MAJOR head position.
My understanding is that Knight HAS been under consideration for other head coaching openings - but always lower level. I do not know if he had been offered and refused, or not been offered. For example, I would think that at this stage he would be much more "qualified" than was Jay Young, who got a head coaching gig (though a tough one).
I believe his current salary is pretty competitive with the salaries of MID MAJOR head coaches, and well above those of LOW LEVEL head coaches.
So ... see this link, from USA Today in 2024, a list of basketball head coaches' compensation: https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/mens-basketball/coach.
You can sort by several of the columns. I sorted by School-provided salary, initially, then by conference, to see what the range of pay was for various level conferences.
For example, some conferences ranges (not including potential or actual bonuses, JUST "total pay", which may not be the only source of pay):
ACC: Range from $1.6 mill to $4 mill school pay.
Big Ten: $2 mill to $6.2 mill (with many large bonuses above)
Big 12: $1.7 mill to $10 mill (Bill Self)
Big East - just 3 schools: $2 mill to $5 mill (Hurley)
Pac 12 (before it dissolved): $1.5 mill to $4 mill
SEC: $2.3 mill to $8.5 mill
Most smaller conferences only had 1-3 schools on this list. For example:
2 from the WCC - Gonzaga ($2.7 mill) and St. Mary's ($1 mill)
2 A-10 Schools (VCU - $1.7 mill; Loyola-Chicago - $530K)
American East (Vermont only - $375K)
Conf USA (New Mexico St - $530K)
MWC (3 teams, San Diego St - $2.3 mill, Nevada - $1.3 mill, Utah St - $900K)
Patriot League (1 team, Colgate - $517K)
My guess is that Low Major schools head coaches' pay may range from $200K to $400K, generally. Mid Majors have a wider range ... from lesser teams paying $300K to $600 K perhaps, while some of the schools within otherwise Mid Major leagues that are elite (like San Diego St, Gonzaga, et al and the upper echelon of the A-10, AAC, etc., from $750K to over $1 mill, or in rare cases like Gonzaga, San Diego St over $2 mill).
Here is a different link, with more lower level school salaries, from 2021: https://www.panthernation.com/forum...basketball/714333-mid-major-coaching-salaries.
Point? Knight's current pay of $700K puts him above nearly all Low Major schools' pay scale, and a majority of Mid-Major school pay grade ... plus the measure of SUCCESS at many of those schools is very difficult to achieve, and you HAVE to dramatically succeed to move up to High Mid-Major and/or P6 schools.
My understanding is that Knight HAS been under consideration for other head coaching openings - but always lower level. I do not know if he had been offered and refused, or not been offered. For example, I would think that at this stage he would be much more "qualified" than was Jay Young, who got a head coaching gig (though a tough one).
I believe his current salary is pretty competitive with the salaries of MID MAJOR head coaches, and well above those of LOW LEVEL head coaches.
So ... see this link, from USA Today in 2024, a list of basketball head coaches' compensation: https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/mens-basketball/coach.
You can sort by several of the columns. I sorted by School-provided salary, initially, then by conference, to see what the range of pay was for various level conferences.
For example, some conferences ranges (not including potential or actual bonuses, JUST "total pay", which may not be the only source of pay):
ACC: Range from $1.6 mill to $4 mill school pay.
Big Ten: $2 mill to $6.2 mill (with many large bonuses above)
Big 12: $1.7 mill to $10 mill (Bill Self)
Big East - just 3 schools: $2 mill to $5 mill (Hurley)
Pac 12 (before it dissolved): $1.5 mill to $4 mill
SEC: $2.3 mill to $8.5 mill
Most smaller conferences only had 1-3 schools on this list. For example:
2 from the WCC - Gonzaga ($2.7 mill) and St. Mary's ($1 mill)
2 A-10 Schools (VCU - $1.7 mill; Loyola-Chicago - $530K)
American East (Vermont only - $375K)
Conf USA (New Mexico St - $530K)
MWC (3 teams, San Diego St - $2.3 mill, Nevada - $1.3 mill, Utah St - $900K)
Patriot League (1 team, Colgate - $517K)
My guess is that Low Major schools head coaches' pay may range from $200K to $400K, generally. Mid Majors have a wider range ... from lesser teams paying $300K to $600 K perhaps, while some of the schools within otherwise Mid Major leagues that are elite (like San Diego St, Gonzaga, et al and the upper echelon of the A-10, AAC, etc., from $750K to over $1 mill, or in rare cases like Gonzaga, San Diego St over $2 mill).
Here is a different link, with more lower level school salaries, from 2021: https://www.panthernation.com/forum...basketball/714333-mid-major-coaching-salaries.
Point? Knight's current pay of $700K puts him above nearly all Low Major schools' pay scale, and a majority of Mid-Major school pay grade ... plus the measure of SUCCESS at many of those schools is very difficult to achieve, and you HAVE to dramatically succeed to move up to High Mid-Major and/or P6 schools.
I guess what OP said can be construed as negative recruiting however it also may be construed as realistic recruiting comments.
Regardless of Knight’s salary, I do expect him to accept a HC Position possibly as soon as next year.
I would think he’s waiting for the right opportunity which should happen next year especially if RU makes some noise in March.
If Knight should depart, I think Smoke departs with him given how close they are.
Regardless of Knight’s salary, I do expect him to accept a HC Position possibly as soon as next year.
I would think he’s waiting for the right opportunity which should happen next year especially if RU makes some noise in March.
If Knight should depart, I think Smoke departs with him given how close they are.
A coach once said to me, "Kids get led to a school by an assistant coach. They don't get led to a school FOR an assistant coach."
Agreed. I think he leaves when Dylan does.
I’m sure almost every assistant coach in America wants to be the top guy at a program.
So RUDiddy777 changed his handle to RUGiddy777 and we're all suppose to be ok with it.
Not so fast my friend.
What type of grown adult idolizes Diddy so much he goes on a college message board with a diddy handle.
A real sicko.
I had heard you enjoyed your time at the party after using the white boy tunnel.
This seems like worse backtracking than from your assertions that Ash was going to have more success than Pike and that Pike couldn’t recruit.
Oooh, I love posts like these. Let's guess
-Marlon has the most frequent flier miles of anyone and wants to cash them in
-Brandin Knight has decided to rest on his recruiting laurels
-Marlon lost a game of rock, paper, scissors and now has to bring in a whole class
-something something Sherdian
-Something something subway
-TJ Thompson and Brandin Knight have purchased Marlon costumes and are masquerading as Marlon on the trail
Same kind of guy that probably listens to Michael Kay all day and ponders up the worst takes of all time.
I'm not into the rap scene so I don't even want to inquire as to what a Giddy is.
Yea I mean I get this, and well Smoke ain't exactly a great recruiter, so when your top dog recruiter is halfway gone it's going to be hard to land the top kids. Hopefully we bring in a rockstar recruiter and not another smoke
I really like the rock, paper, scissors to decide who has to do the work.
"Ha! I won. I'm taking the year off. You have to do all the recruiting"
***Knight takes his shoes off, puts feet up on his desk and leans back***
I would counter that with Pike and staff developed Caleb into National Defensive player of year which helped him get into NBA teams radar
And developed Ron from under the radar recruit into a guy who has already spent more time in the G-League and NBA than the vast majority of higher rated recruits.
That's great for "under the radar" or lower ranked recruits.
I would imagine Top 50/5 star recruits that are already on draft radars aren't going to be too impressed with 4 year developmental players and focus more on recruits in similar situations (Ace/Dylan).
It's two different types of recruits.
