If it’s January, Brian Schneider must be on the football recruiting trail for some school.
Schneider has recruited to the Mountain West Conference (alma mater Colorado State), Pac-10 (UCLA) and Big 12 (Iowa State). Now he’s back home in the MWC as a member of the new Air Force staff.
As the only member of AFA coach Troy Calhoun’s staff without a previous service academy stop, Schneider is learning on the fly with the Falcons. The obvious differences from his prior coaching stops are the rigorous academic requirements and congressional nominations required for AFA candidates. That small pool shrinks even more by eliminating prospects with no interest in a military career or prospects whose parents prefer they take a civilian path.
No fear. Schneider, a former CSU linebacker and assistant coach, is attacking his new assignment with the same enthusiasm and determination as when he formulated the Rams’ special teams into the MWC’s most formidable units earlier this decade.
“Recruiting is recruiting. You have to recruit to the strengths of your program, whatever they are. You’re selling the great things the academy has to offer,” Schneider said.
For the first time in his coaching career, Schneider can promise recruits a $50,000-a-year job after they graduate. But there are universal themes to recruiting, he said, such as identifying prospects and building relationships.
On his third stop since leaving CSU after the 2002 season, Schneider said, “No matter what school it is, you go through a transition period learning how to sell the school.”
While new Alabama coach Nick Saban is expected to earn a hefty chunk of his eight-year, $32 million package with the Crimson Tide between now and national signing day – he had better hurry, because ‘Bama hasn’t cracked the top 20 of either major online recruiting site – the first thing Schneider learned is the first Wednesday in February isn’t the end-all at Air Force. Service academies are exempt from the national letter of intent system, not to mention the NCAA’s scholarship limitations. A prospect can sign elsewhere and still land at Air Force.
“The biggest thing is you can have visits after signing day,” Schneider said. “You can have more coaches on the road.”
Welch still waiting
Imagine a college coach telling a USA Today second-team All-America quarterback or defensive tackle, “We’d like you to come down, and if you win the job you’ll get a scholarship.”
That’s the traditional approach for kickers. Fort Collins High School coach Eric Rice is beyond frustration that no scholarships have been offered to his All-America kicker, Phil Welch.
“There’s a whole bunch of interest,” Rice said. “Kansas and Michigan have called. Wisconsin and CSU have expressed a lot of interest. But no one has come out and given an official offer.”
Colleges don’t want to tie up precious scholarships with kickers when they usually can get them to walk on. It’s similar to the NFL, where a high draft pick rarely is used on a kicker.
But as Mason Crosby proved at Colorado, kickers can win a lot of games.
“I’ve never valued the kicking position more than this year when we won a couple with last-minute field goals,” Rice said.
Welch kicked 19 field goals, seven from 40 yards or longer.
Area update
CU and CSU saw no changes on their commitment lists this past week. The schools have some recruits in this weekend, though few scholarships remain. It isn’t uncommon for football programs to bring in campus visitors in hopes of landing invited walk-ons.
Natalie Meisler can be reached at 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com.
