New Mexico Daily Lobo
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Current Date: Tue, 22 May 2012 18:42:48 -0600
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Locksley's recipe for football success
Expecting top-six results from a bottom 10 football program is blissfully ignorant.
Fair or not, given his recruiting acumen, that’s exactly what some fans expect from Lobo football head coach Mike Locksley.
Heralded as the No. 6 recruiter in the nation when he was hired in December 2008, Locksley arguably received the Lobos’ head job solely because of his ability to recruit, given he had no previous experience as a collegiate head coach.
Did he deliver?
Scout.com rates the Lobos’ 2010 recruiting class as tied for 83rd in the nation. UNM, according to Scout, signed just four three-star recruits, none in the top 100.
Among the bottom 13 teams in the nation, only three — Virginia (3-9), Maryland (2-10), one of Locksley’s coaching stop-offs, and Washington State (1-11) — landed four-star recruits. Washington State secured 17 three-star recruits, to Maryland’s 13 and Virginia’s seven.
Locksley, in his first, full go at recruiting, nabbed three three-star players — middle linebacker Toby Ball, quarterback Tarean Austin and wide receiver Detchauz Wray — second-most among teams that finished an unspectacular 1-11.
The stars Scout.com hands out, however, have Locksley less
than starry-eyed.
As it goes, Locksley said, some stars turn out to be supernovas. Others, he said, plummet faster than the ones that pepper the Albuquerque horizon.
“I know a lot of successful two-star, no-star guys that have had great success and I’ve known a lot of four-star, five-star guys that don’t pan out,” he said. “(There’s) no exact science to it. I’ve recruited as many five stars that haven’t turned out to be great players as two stars that have turned out to be great players. ”
The truth of the matter is recruiting is boom-or-bust. Only the matter is further complicated by established sites like Scout.com, which attempt to predict the unpredictable and forecast that which cannot be conceived.
Call it the Nostradamus Effect.
But Locksley hardly pays attention to any of the rambling done on such sites, or grades assigned by such subjective rubrics.
“I never put anything into someone else’s ratings,” Locksley said. “To each his own. What’s been proven over the years with the recruiting system that we utilize is the evaluation process. We know what we’re looking for. We have a set process in place to insure we’re bringing in the right player.”
He has his own formula, one that has rarely let him down, he said.
“It’s a long process, but to give it to you in layman’s terms, each position has a set criteria: How tall, how short we’d be willing to go at each specific position. We look at height and weight measurables. We look at speed measurables, and we have a top-speed measurable that we like. And we have a bottom — the least amount of speed and height we take.”
From there, Locksley said, the coaches assign each recruit a grade based off a breakdown of performances in seven critical areas.
To ensure that the exercise is as foolproof as possible, other coaches besides Locksley provide input, determining who fits into the Lobos’ necessities and which players UNM can weed out.
“When you’ve got three guys doing it — the recruiting coach, the position coach and then me as the head coach — you’ve got three different grades and you average them out,” Locksley said.
And by Scout’s definition — coupled with Locksley No. 6 recruiter tagline — this recruiting class is average, perhaps even a tad below.
But, if just this once, don’t doubt Locksley.
“If you look at my track record over the years as a recruiter, it’s based on production, not based on stars,” he said. “I’ve never been the type to pound my chest as a recruiter. I’ve always prided myself on being a good evaluator of talent.”
For the time being, all Locksley can do is wish upon a star.
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38 comments
Locksley Can’t Handle Being HC
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Where are ALL your recruits? What about the couple of top recruits who failed to qualify last year? Academic deceit! As for this year and years to come, No high school football recruit in their right mind would consider UNM unless it is their only offer.
Jay
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“And by Scout’s definition….” You mean the Scout service that you said earlier in your article attempts “…to predict the unpredictable and forecast that which cannot be conceived. Nice line, by the way.
Still grinding the ax? At least, you could have waited until the complete class is in before casting doubt. That way, it wouldn’t have looked like such a childish obsession and seemed a little more objective.
Ted
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There is absolutely nothing the University of New Mexico can offer a certifiable High School Blue Chip football recruit. As long as Locks is the HC nothing will be accomplished for the UNM football program but more embarrassment.
Said
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Considering the 1-11 record, age discrimination/sexual harassment complaint, chocking/punching an assistant, causing a media frenzy, alienating the press, fans and players, recruiting players that can’t qualify! Who in their right mind would want to play for that Ghetto FOOL!!!!
Include balanced info
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If your going to be critical, you should at least try to include all of the information. If you include Rivals and ESPN ratings (along with Scout) to the recruits, there are a number of them that have higher ratings on one service but not the other. Sometimes not even rated by one of the services. In the end, your article means nothing. We’ll see how good they really are in the next couple of years.
rudyc
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When the end is here for some of the racist diatribes that have been spewed by people who, for some reason, have nothing better to do I will not pray for you wretched soul. I would bet my home that each and every one of Coach Locksley’s detractors have never met him, talked to him or payed any sport in their lives. Making yourself “look good” by criticizing someone you don’t know is more than juvenile, it is symbolic of why no one wants to listen to a student.One again UNM prove why I always called the paper the “Daily Lowblow”
Include the Truth
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The only thing Locks is great at is F——ing things up…. The players or the coaches have NO RESPECT or TRUST in him. His violent and out of control behavior shows his lack of self control; which is unacceptable.
UNM Staff
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Locksley can talk but he can’t back it up. The student athletes don’t say anything positive about him. His offenses have produced crap except for one season. Check the stats it is there in black and white. Analyst called this the worst hire of last year. Not one had anything glowing to say about Locks except for recruiting and we all know how that is going….. Krebs should have done his homework and now he will go down along with Locksley.
UNM Fan
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I would like to see some of you guys recruit to New Mexico. Why would a 4-5 star athlete come to New Mexico? UNM doesn’t have a lot to offer them. Run down football facilities. I don’t know if you kids know it or not but there is a arms race going on at college campuses today for athletic facilities. Athletes are going to the schools where they will enjoy the best football facilities, stadiums, work out facilities etc. It’s like who has the best car. Oklahoma, Texas A&M, BYU are driving Corvettes and UNM is peddling a Ford Taurus.
Players want to go to school where there is football tradition UNM has no tradition other than booing the opposing players as they run on to the field or getting slobbering drunk and throwing water bottles on the field or just getting drunk and never going into the game.
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You guys need to watch some college games and see what fan support is. Take a lesson from the SEC & Big 12 schools on what fans are. You guys could learn a lot.
So far, Coach Lockley has commitments from player some three and a 4 star players. He is bringing in quality players even with NCAA sanctions limiting him on the number of payed visits for prospects coming in to visit UNM. He is limited on the number of scholarships he can give out and the number of JUCOs that he can recruit. Due to the previous head coach. However, never in New Mexico’s history did Rocky Long have this talented recruiting class. Dontrell Moore didn’t even really want to come here. He had some doors close which resulted in him playing at UNM.
You so called fans, need to get on this band wagon and support this program and spend some time in Locksleys shoes before bitching and moaning, but, that is what New Mexicans do, after all were only New Mexico.
Nice work
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“…none in the top 100.”
Zach Daugherty is rated two star by Scout, but is rated in the top 100 at #79. Tarean Austin, #70, and Toby Ball, #31 both have three star ratings and 31 and 70 are less than 100, so I think that puts them in the top 100.
Hefman
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And add to that the signing of Calvin Smith at #42 for DEs, who turned down Florida State and Alabama.
Interesting the the author and the train of uninformed sheep focus on the fact that he hasn’t hauled in a #6 class — as if that is somehow a dissapointment for a UNM class. Not only that, but he was looking at a pre-signing day ranking and mentions “signings” that hadn’t even happened yet.
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The full signing class isn’t even in yet and by Scout’s standards (the service the author uses for his ratings), this is almost sure to be the best UNM class EVER. It is certainly better than any of Rocky Long’s classes. There are five 3 atar recruits in this class so far (not the three reported by the author). According to Scout, the most Long ever got was two in any class, and there were at least 2 classes where Long did not get a single recruit rated over 2 stars.
Does anyone, besides you, really expect Locksley to come in and get a top-6 class at UNM? If you do, you’re an idiot. How about comparing Locklsey’s work with his predecessor, instead of focusing on whether this class is up to some imaginary standard that you seem to have set for it?
I’m sorry, but the author really shows his lack of knowledge of the recruiting process and lack of understanding of college football in general with this article.
Horace
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As long as Locksley is the head coach for UNM football I will boo the Lobos and cheer as they have more abyssmal seasons. No one at UNM has any respect for a coach who abuses his subordinates.
jazz hands
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UNM Fan-
Have you even seen UNM’s football facilities??? Having been through Tow Diem and University Stadium – the weight rooms, locker rooms, indoor practice field and even the in-water treadmill seem pretty nice to me. Obviously these aren’t as great as those at Oklahoma and Texas A&M – for one those schools football programs don’t suck and two their alumni and boosters are LOADED. Next, you’re right, fans from the SEC and Big 12 are better supporters of their programs in general, but they don’t blindly support bad coaches either. And thanks but I’ll pass on walking in Lockleys shoes. I’m just not that in to comparing myself to thugs, hitting other people and in general acting like a jerk.
And
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Hefman,
You ask “Does anyone … really expect Locksley to come in and get a top-6 class at UNM?” You know what, for the $750,000 a year he makes, I expect him to come close. According to Krebs, that’s exactly why we hired him. Also, I assume that’s why Locksley makes 20 times the average annual salary of a NM worker.
So for all you Lobo Football lemmings, just because Locksley came from the Big 10 doesn’t make him a god. If you “fans” love UNM football so much, I think you’d be asking for a better coach.
Sparkles!,
Jazz Hands
Hefman
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“…for the $750,000 a year he makes, I expect him to come close.” Really? Do you know how much the coaches from the top 10 recruiting class schools make? $750k would pale in comparison. And, by the way, almost every college football coach makes 20 times the average worker at their university. This is news?
Again, I stand by my point that if you think ANYONE can recruit a top 10 class to UNM then you are truly uninformed about the sport and should not be spouting off about it.
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The fact is, Locksley’s recruiting ability is only ONE of the reasons Krebs hired him. It’s not “exactly why he hired him.” Despite what you, and others like you, try to say to disparage his recruting ability, he has gone out and recruited the best classes UNM has had in years and possibly ever. This, after one of the most brutal seasons ever and having to endure constant criticism of the program by media, some fans and, FOR SURE, other opposing recruiters. Trying to paint it in a negative way is futile.
I am not a “Lobo Football lemming.” I am an educated fan and alum, who wants the university to succeed. I have been as critical of Locksley’s behavior as the next guy, but, unlike you, I understand what he has just accomplished and consider it as huge positive. If he’s as bad as some of you peanut gallery “fans” paint him to be, how could he possibly retain his current players and coaches (which he’s done) and compete and win in recruiting battles against much bigger programs?
Hefman
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By the way, I just referenced some of the previous recruiting classes for top-100 players, since the auther mentioned that this class had none…
This class currently has 4 top 100 players. Last year’s class also had 4 (despite Locksley coming in to the recruiting scene late). According to Scout, Long had only 7 top-100 recruits in the previous 5 recruiting seasons (2004-2008). Long made probably 12-15 times the average UNM worker. Why was nobody complaining about HIS recruiting?
EEOC on Campus Again!
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ABQ JOURNAL reports today that another EEOC complaint filed against UNM and Locksley by Gerald for alledgedly racial harrassment by Locksley referring to and directing comments to Gerald as a “n*gger” and “motherf*cker” during Gerald’s supervision and employ by locksley at UNM.
Can it be “dark dumb brotha” racially and sexually harassing “smart light skinned brotha” syndrome on the football practice fields and athletics offices at UNM?
What hilarious fodder! Playing the “race card” against the race card! Beautiful move!
Here comes ANOTHER settlement by UNM bought and paid for by the citizens and taxpayers of New Mexico!
Let’s see if ol’Schmid is true to any of his words and fires Locksley and Krebs as he stated he would if anything else were to transpire from Locksley!
Recruiting class doesn’t matter!
Goodbye and so long Locks! and take your other “brotha” Krebs “down with you!”
EEOC?
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Again? Mike will say that those comments to Gerald were from one black man to another and out of love for his fellow brother!
As far as the “mother******” thing that’s some serious dysfunction Coach Locksley! I thought you brought your mother in for the BreastCancer thing!
It's a family THANG!
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Except for Coach Locks son Mieko ..he declined his Daddy’s scholarship offer and went all the way back East to Towson State and accepted their football scholarship offer!
Otherwise, Mike’s wife Kia does the Yoga stretching thing with UNM football players IT’S ONLY FITTING! That Mike would have his mother offer up what she can! for the program!
This is the craziest college football program ever!
I'd choke and punch...
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J.B. Gerald too if he did that to my mother!
Great !
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NOW we have to go to the “YO MAMA” jokes about Locksley?
I bet for $750K a year he’ll laugh all the way to the bank!
What a bunghole!
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Another complaint of discrimination filed with the EEOC on Locksley for racial and sexual harrassment? This guy is a real
joke!
UNM F-Baller
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Coach Locks did alright! But our team won’t be any better next year maybe like 2-10 maybe? glad I’m a Senior this year and I’m done with Locks and UNM Football got my free ED though !
Coach Locks is a punk though and his football schemes and systems are bogus! He is a poor brother’s Daddy recruiting salesman ! Not a head coach! My HS coach could coach circles around him! I’m gonna lolly gag my Senior Season on the field and just keep my health right! I won’t be the only one! after the last year only Carlos will play hard for Locks and he’s a fag magnet Daddy’s favorite! just try and find out who I am…you won’t! new mexico sucks!
I SMELL A NCAA INVESTIGATION ON THE WAY!
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UNM F-Baller: You told the truth that Coach Locks is a punk though and his football schemes and systems are bogus! He is a poor brother’s Daddy recruiting salesman! Not a head coach! My HS coach could coach circles around him!
I happen to know that Locks promises parents advances and participates in other illegal forms of recruiting to get athletes to sign….. I guarantee something illegal took place to acquire recruits this year……Watch and Wait….. Locks must have forgotten that the NCAA penalized UNM’s football program Aug. 20 in response to the Lobos’ violation of association rules, including academic fraud. I SMELL A NCAA INVESTIGATION ON THE WAY!
UNM Fan
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Hey Smeller,
If you know that Locks promised parents advances tell us what you know. You don’t know that anything took place yopu only speculating.Why can’t you be happy & excited for UNM, unless your an Aghole. Just FYI, Coach was successful at Florida as well as Illinois. He had great recruiting classes at eacg stop.
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I think most of you boohooers are jealous of Locksley because he makes a good living and you guys are just barely getting by. I bet you fools posting don’t even go to any of the games.
paul krebs
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Krebs is doing a very good job as athletic director. Football is the only blemish on his record so far. By the look of things the fortunes of the football team could be turning around. Before people on this sight judge Krebs look at his entire body of work. complete turn arounds in womens volleyball, baseball, men’s and womens’s cross country and track, tennis. He has kept the good coaches at UNM and hired good coaches to take over under performing programs. Locksley has had only one season so people should not judge Krebs success based off one really bad football season.
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