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Bielema has soured on new rule that keeps him from spring recruiting

Jim Polzin  —  5/21/2008 6:06 am

It's not like Bret Bielema has been chained to his desk on the eighth floor of Camp Randall Stadium the last month, although it's probably felt that way at times for the University of Wisconsin football coach.

A new NCAA rule has grounded Bielema and other head coaches during the important spring evaluation period, which runs from April 15 to May 31. Assistant coaches are still allowed to visit high schools and evaluate prospects.

It's been quite a change for Bielema, who spent all but a handful of days on the road during last year's spring evaluation period. At this time a year ago, he was likely either watching a spring football practice in Florida or Texas, a track and field meet in Cleveland or a baseball game in Illinois.

More importantly, the time on the road offered Bielema the chance to build -- or strengthen -- relationships with high school coaches around the country. And while he couldn't speak with recruits on these trips, there's a pretty good chance he left an impression on them. It's hard not to notice a tall guy with a red Wisconsin polo shirt watching your every move.

Bielema said he liked the rule change at first "because it put everybody on the same playing field." The more he thought about it, however, the more he realized it handicapped coaches like himself who actually like to be on the road recruiting in April and May.

"One of the reasons I loved going out in the spring," he said, "was there were a lot of coaches who wouldn't do it."

The rule change, proposed by Southeastern Conference coaches, has been unofficially dubbed the "Saban rule." Nick Saban was accused of violating the "bump rule" -- in-person contact with recruits -- during his first few months as Alabama's coach last spring.

The allegations didn't result in any NCAA penalties, just a rule change that left some coaches grumbling. Not surprisingly, Saban, who reportedly visited over 100 high schools last spring, was one of them.

"I think it's ridiculous that we're doing what we're doing," Saban told reporters last month.

Most coaches apparently disagree. Coaches had a chance to override the rule, but American Football Coaches Association executive director Grant Teaff told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that only 14 of 120 voted to do so.

While he called the combination of this rule change and the one eliminating text messages to recruits a "double whammy," he can understand why both were put in place.

"The rules are supposedly taking one thing into consideration: the personal well-being of the student-athlete," Bielema said. "As coaches, we just have to learn to adjust and play by the rules."

Some coaches have adjusted in interesting fashion. Illinois coach Ron Zook has conducted six clinics around the country where he speaks to high school coaches.

"It's one-stop shopping," Zook told the Chicago Tribune last week. "You're getting a chance to talk to coaches so they feel more comfortable about picking up the phone and calling you.

"I don't know if it's being crafty or not, but in college football, recruiting is the lifeblood, so we have to do everything we can to get to know the young men and the coaches."

One of Zook's stops was in Washington, D.C., a recruiting hot spot for the Illini.

"My deal is I want to be able to get out and get in front of coaches, talk to coaches, let them know us, sell our program, sell what we're about," Zook told The Washington Post.

As for Saban, he admitted recently that he speaks to a handful of recruits each day via a Web camera set up in his office. Coaches are allowed to call each recruit once in May; the NCAA views the Web cam like a phone call.

Bielema joked that he's not the best-looking guy and would rather talk to recruits on the phone.

"I got raised by a mom and dad to think a certain way," Bielema told the Chicago Tribune last week at the annual Big Ten meeting of coaches and athletic directors in Chicago. "I've never deviated from that or tried to find a shortcut. And I'm not saying necessarily that coaches are; they're just being intuitive."

Jim Polzin  —  5/21/2008 6:06 am