In recruiting it isn’t just about the head coach, although they are very important in the decision process, equally important are the assistant coaches the player will interact with as they will most likely see them more than the HC. Yesterday 247Sports released their top recruiting assistants and on Brian Kelly’s current staff did not place one inside the Top 50.
Although you will see an Irish assistant inside the top 15, Chip Long, but he was let go by Kelly in early December prior to their Camping World Bowl win. The first active Irish coach that makes the list is all the way down at 72, DL Coach Mike Elston makes the list. Elston was accounted for 5 commits in this class, including DT Aidan Keanaaina and DE Rylie Mills.
Special team’s coordinator Brian Polian makes the top 100 as well, checking in at 88. Polian accounted for 7 total commits, his best being LB Jordan Botelho while assisting in the recruitment of 5-Star TE Michael Mayer.
If the Irish expect to continue to recruit at the highest level, there needs to be some assistants stepping their game up on the recruiting side. The jury is still out on Tommy Rees, who was elevated to Offensive coordinator just last month, but the rest of the staff needs to pick things up on the recruiting trail.