NC State Football Program Evaluation: The Wolfpack Football Recruiting Class

NC State Football Program Evaluation: The Wolfpack Football Recruiting Class Renald Jeanmarie PRT 509 Summer II 2016

Table of Contents Introduction.Page 3 Description of the Problem...Page 4 Purpose of Evaluation...Page 5 Structure and Context of the program...page 6 Evaluation Questions..Page 7 Body of Knowledge Page 8 Population...Page 9 Data Gathering.Page 10 Evaluation Measurement..Page 11 Measurement Reliability and Validity.Page 12 Resources Needed & Potential Barriers...Page 13 References...Page 14 Appendix.Page 15-28 2

Introduction The mission of the NC State University Department of Athletics is to prepare student-athletes to compete at the highest level and to inspire them to be leaders now and for the future by providing the best environment to achieve their athletic, academic, and personal aspirations as well as providing support for the professional development of our coaches and staff, all within the role of the greater institutional relationships to the University. The NC State Wolfpack football team represents North Carolina State University in the sport of American football. The Wolfpack competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Wolfpack plays in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Prior to joining the ACC in 1953, the Wolfpack were a member of the Southern Conference. As a member of the ACC, the Wolfpack has won seven conference championships and participated in 29 bowl games, of which the team has won fifteen. NC State is currently coached by Dave Doeren. Under Doeren leadership, in his first season the Wolfpack compiled a record of 3 9 and failed to win an ACC game. In just his second year as the head coach at NC State, his team improved to an 8 5 record (one of the fastest turnarounds in school history), and won the 2014 Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl. In his latest season, the Wolfpack finished 7-6 after a 28-51 loss to Mississippi State in the 2015 Belk Bowl. In 2016, Doeren and his staff is evaluating the team and taking proper measures so that the football program can continue to be successful. 3

Description of the Problem The NC State Wolfpack football team competes in one of the power five football conferences the ACC, the others being the SEC, BIG10, BIG12, and PAC12. The problem with the football program is that it hasn t been ranked in the top 10 of The Associated Press, and USA Today Coaches Polls in recent years. Also NC State football recruiting class hasn t been ranked in any top 10 recruiting database for college football. The 2013-2016 recruiting classes have rank from the mid 30 s to 50 s under Coach Doeren leadership. The major problem why the NC State football program is not one of the top-tier college football programs yet is because the team has been losing the recruiting battle for some of the nation s top high school prospects in their recruiting areas. Where NC State University is located, year in and year out the football program are always in a constant battle with rivals schools in the ACC, SEC, and even BIG10 schools. Below is illustration of the Power 5 conferences football recruiting map areas: 4

Purpose of Evaluation The purpose of this evaluation of NC State Football Program is to analyze, gather evidence, and collect data to improve the Wolfpack football recruiting class. The evaluation is also being conducted to get an understanding on why the NC State football team hasn t produce a top 10 football recruiting class. When the football program is sponsored by Adidas, has an upgraded football stadium in Carter-Finley Stadium, multiple outdoor practice fields, and the new Close- King Indoor Practice facility. Moreover, NC State has a willing athletic administration, a large student-body, a loyal fan base, supportive alumni, and the Wolfpack Club. The school is a great educational institute that s seated in the nice City of Raleigh, and is situated around good football recruiting areas. NC State athletics has all the great amenities that a student-athlete would want in a college program, but somehow the football program hasn t advanced to a top team in the ACC or the NCAA. I will primary be using a formative evaluation to provide information that will help improve the NC State Football recruiting class. I will gather and collect data on the NC State Football Program recruiting class from 2013-2016. The data that I will gather is on current NC State football player s football grade skills & talent ratings coming out of high school. I also will gather evidence on areas and states of past committed Wolfpack prospects. The potential information in the evaluation will give me results and an understanding of the past three seasons for NC State football team. 5

Structure and context of the program In a college football program there are many aspects or areas that a coach or staff can evaluate. Areas like on and off the field performance, strength & condition performance results, and educational & graduation rate of student-athletes. The area that I m focusing on in this program evaluation is the recruiting aspect of the NC State football program. Implementation Activities Intended Outcome Resources Needed Program Offered Outputs Proximal Changes Distal Changes Nike Endorsement The finest gear, 50% of the committed Create a recruiting Produce Top 10. equipment, and prospects to come pipeline recruiting class uniforms from North Carolina every year School Athletics NFL/ TV exposure 30% of the committed Improve recruiting ACC Champs TV Network prospects to come class rank Play in the ACC from Florida BCS Champs Added Amenities Get more commits To Carter-Finley Great fan base/ 10% of the committed from 4 stars Get 5 stars Stadium Game atmosphere prospects to come prospects prospects from South Carolina commits Satellite Football Nice football facilities Produce a Top 25 Camps 10% of the committed recruiting class Build a Top education prospects to come great football from Georgia Increase winning tradition NFL Players that Awesome coaching efficacy played for staff Become a NC State Beat UNC, ECU college football An opportunity to Wake Forest, powerhouse compete for ACC & and Duke BCS championships In this logic model I used a program theory of what the NC State football program may need and what it has to offer to achieve short and long term goals. 6

Evaluation Questions What are the short term goals of the NC State Football Program? The short term goals for the NC State Football Program are creating a recruiting pipeline in areas or states where the top high school prospects are produce. Win the recruiting battle in the state of North Carolina, and improve football recruiting class from previous years. The goal is to also produce Top 25 football recruiting classes every season. What resources does NC State football team need to improve recruiting class? The resources that the NC State football team will need are a Nike endorsement switching from an Adidas endorsement. The football program will need recommendation from NFL players that attended & played for the school. The school can also add an Athletic TV network that promotes the football program. Add more amenities, luxury press box, and stands to a 60,000 seat stadium. The football program can also organize satellite camps in different states of our recruiting areas. What does NC State football program has to offer to prospects that they recruit? The NC State Wolfpack gives prospects the opportunity to play for a major Division I football program. Playing football for NC State you get the chance to compete against other schools in the ACC. As a student-athlete you get TV exposure on networks like ESPN, ACC, CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox. Student-Athletes also get seen and notice by scouts from every NFL, CFL, and professional Arena teams. Prospects that commit to NC State will receive a great education, and enjoy using nice equipment & facilities. Not to mention being coach by an awesome staff. What techniques can NC State football team use to attract elite prospects? The NC State football team can use the lifestyle of the Raleigh to attract prospects. The football team can also use former players like Phillip Rivers, Russell Wilson, and Mario Williams in the recruiting process to persuade prospects about NC State. The satellite football camps will also be used to attract more elite prospects to NC State. What are the long term goals of the NC State Football Program? The long term goals for the NC State Football Program are to become a college football powerhouse in the NCAA. Continue to build a great football tradition in the ACC and NCAA. Receive the elite high school prospect in our recruiting areas, and produce Top 10 recruiting classes every season. The overall long term goals are to win multiple ACC and BCS Championships. 7

Body of Knowledge In previous studies that are related to improving a college football program, I learned how six head coaches restored their college football programs. In the article Blueprint For A Rebuild that coaches tell stories of turning around a losing and struggling football program. The coaches also shared what they implemented to become competitive, and what was the outcome once their program became successful. Also after reading Recruiting Lifeblood to Rebuilding Football Programs I learned that recruiting a top recruiting class is very essential to building a dynasty college football program. I learned how head football coaches goes out their way or comfort zone to recruit the next football superstar. I got an understanding that you can measure any college football program success by evaluating their recruiting pipeline or strategies. In addition, other factors in recruiting played a major role in attracting highly- touted athletes. Things like education, new facilities, upgraded stadiums, and new endorsements are very resourceful in attracting high school football prospects. In the article The Surprising Factors Driving College Football Recruits College Decision A recent survey conducted by Galain of 179 college football players sought to identify the factors most important to college football recruits in making their college decision. Of the fifteen choices participants had to select from, the participants ranked a school s academic reputation as the most important factor to their decision. The least important factor was their friends opinions about a school or program. Most interesting about the study s findings, however, is the important role that a campus facilities play to a recruit s decision. A recruit s opinion of a team s playing facilities ranked as the fourth most important factor, while campus living facilities and team facilities ranked sixth and eighth, respectively. 8

Population In my program evaluation, my population is student-athletes that are currently players on the NC State football team. I will identify the current players on the NC State football team by looking at the current roster, and recruiting class from 2013-2016. Most of the current players on the NC State football team are from the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. In 2015, there were about 480 Florida prospects, 305 Georgia prospects, 105 North Carolina prospects, 90 Virginia prospects, 75 New Jersey, 65 South Carolina prospects, and 60 Maryland prospects that NC State recruited. The recruiting population for NC State football team is estimated around 1200 high school prospects, and each year the football team signs about 25 prospects to an athletic scholarship. 9

Data Gathering In my Program Evaluation, I will gather and collect data on the NC State Football recruiting class from 2013-2016. The data that I will gather is on current NC State football player s football grade skills & talent ratings coming out of high school. I also will gather evidence on areas and states of past committed Wolfpack prospects. I will use quantitative method to observe data on NC State football recruiting class. I will collect my data from Rivals, Scout, ESPN, 247 Sports, and GoPack. The data collection will occur during the NCAA Division I Football FBS recruiting calendar, which is yearly during the season from August 1 to July 31. I will ensure a strong response rate by targeting the specific population of football prospects, and using an effective & aggressive recruiting strategy to improve the NC State football recruiting class. I will definitely use the upgraded resources to beat out rival school competition in the recruiting battle, and include what the school has to offer to achieve the goals of NC State Football Program. 10

Evaluation Measurement NC State Football Program observation checklist: Recruiting class from 2013-2016 Produce a NCAA Top 25 football recruiting class in a single year Produce a NCAA Top 10 football recruiting class in a single year Produce a Top 5 football recruiting class in the ACC Create a football recruiting pipeline in another state Got a 5 Star ranked high school prospect to commit to NC State Got a 4 Star ranked high school prospect to commit to NC State Got 10 three star ranked prospects to commit to NC State in a single year c c c Got the highest ranked North Carolina high school prospect to commit to NC State Won a single season recruiting battle in the state of NC (vs. UNC, Duke, WF, & ECU) Put together a solid recruiting class to compete on the field in the ACC In the evaluation measurement, that data showed that NC State football team put together a solid football team from 2013-2016 to compete in the ACC. In two of three seasons under Coach Doeren leadership the Wolfpack finished with a winning percentage of.500. The football program hasn t produce a top 5, 10, or 25 rank recruiting class, but still manage to recruit 3 & 4 star ranked prospects. NC State has been able to create a recruiting pipeline outside of the Carolina s, in states like Florida, Georgia, and Virginia. Unfortunately, NC State hasn t won a recruiting battle in the state of North Carolina yet, but was able to recruit the 2015 best North Carolina high school prospect in Johnny Frasier. 11

Measurement Reliability and Validity The data I collected for my evaluation can provide answers about data reliability and validity. The evidence that I collected about the football recruiting classes and the wins/lost results of each football season can provide answers to the data reliability. In 2013, NC State football recruiting class was ranked 59 th in the NCAA and 9 th in the ACC. That year the Wolfpack season outcome was a 3-9 record finishing 7 th in the ACC. In 2014, NC State football recruiting class was ranked 34 th in the NCAA and 7 th in the ACC. That year the Wolfpack season outcome was an 8-5 record finishing 5 th in the ACC, and winning the Bitcoin Bowl game. In 2015, NC State football recruiting class was ranked 31 st in the NCAA and 6 th in the ACC. That year the Wolfpack season outcome was a 7-6 record finishing 4 th in the ACC with a lost in the Belk Bowl. When measuring the reliability and observing the recruiting classes over the three season period the NC State Football Program produce close to the same season results. My data can also answer the question about validity because it measure what it s supposed to measure when it comes to comparing football recruiting class rank and AP Polls or Coaching Polls on the season. When gather collected data for the 2013, 2014, and 2015 recruiting class the measurement shows the season outcome results of each season. Judging from the 2013 recruiting class and season results I hope the 2016 football season outcome doesn t compare. The 2016 Wolfpack recruiting class is ranked 50 th in the NCAA and 9 th in the ACC. Hopefully, the current players from recruiting class 2014 & 2015 will perform great and lead NC State football team to a successful season. 12

Resources Needed & Potential Barriers The resources that I will need to conduct my program evaluation are from the websites of Rivals, Scout, 247 Sports, ESPN, and GoPack. I will need these sources to gather data on current NC State football player s football grade skills & talent ratings coming out of high school. So I can see if the student-athlete progress or regress since committing to NC State. In addition to, analyzing data of the football recruiting class to see where the team ranked nationally and in the ACC. I also can look at the season results under Coach Doeren leadership to judge if NC State football produce good recruiting classes from 2013-2016. The potential barriers in the program evaluation are that each recruiting website (Rivals, Scout, 247 Sports, and ESPN) may have a total different skill grades or ratings of the players in the recruiting class. Another factor you have to consider is that some athlete s talent level is ranked high in high school football, but their talent level doesn t manifest in college football. Vice versa, a high school athlete can be ranked low or not rated at all but becomes a star college football player. Also in the evaluation the recruiting class rank in the NCAA and ACC doesn t necessary measure the outcome results for the on the field performance. For instance, a college football program can have a Top 10 football recruiting class for a certain year, but doesn t perform successful on the football field when it comes to the win & loses column and Bowl Championship games. 13

References NC State Athletics. (2016). NC State Football. Go Pack. Retrieved from web. http://gopack.com/index.aspx?path=football The Wolfpacker. (2016). North Carolina State Football Commitment List. Rivals. Retrieved from web. https://ncstate.rivals.com/commitments/football/2016 247 Sports. (2016). NC State Football Commits. 247 Sports. Retrieved from web. http://ncstate.247sports.com/season/2016-football/commits Pack Pride. (2016). NC State Football Recruiting Commits. Scout. Retrieved from web. http://www.scout.com/college/north-carolina-state/2016-football-commits ESPN. (2016). NC State Wolfpack Schedule. ESPN. Retrieved from web. http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/schedule/_/id/152/year/2015/nc-state-wolfpack Connelly, B. (2014). Blueprint for a Rebuild. SB Nation. Retrieved from web. http://www.sbnation.com/longform/2014/8/20/5990929/college- football-coaches-programs-bobstoops-bill-snyder Autumn, A. (2016). Recruiting Lifeblood to Rebuilding Football Programs. The Leaf- Chroncle. Forbes. Retrieved from web. http://www.theleafchronicle.com/story/sports/college/apsu/football/2016/02/12/recruitinglifeblood-rebuilding-football-programs/80085198/ Jessop, A. (2012). The Surprising Factors Driving College Football Recruits College Decision. Retrieved from web. http://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciajessop/2012/12/14/the-surprising- factors-driving-collegefootball-recruits-decision/#52618f896395 14

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