Elite Elliott

This week I was able to meet with Elaine Elliott.  Elaine was the head basketball coach of the University of Utah's women's basketball team for 27 years.  She retired from her head coaching position at the 'U' as the winningest coach in Mountain West history with a record of 582-234.  She led the Lady Utes to 15 NCAA tournament appearances and into the Elite Eight where they lost by three to the University of Maryland who would eventually end up winning the tournament.  I was able to talk to her and ask her some questions about recruiting and how it has changed over time.

Q.  How has recruiting changed from when you started as a coach to where it is now?

A.  "Initually it was much more regional, because there wasn't as much money in the game....Now to compete at the highest levels everybody has full scholarships, everyone has a full compliment of things they can get kids.  So a kid can make decisions not based on financial merits anymore.  They can really go wherever they want to go.  It's broadened it's nationalized.....  Beyond that, there hasn't been any major differences.  I still have to find kids that fit the program, that fit the school, and fit the area.  They need to fit the process and fit the standard."

Q.  What are some key attributes that you look for in an athlete that you recruit?

A.  "For us it was always the character, the ability for kids to play on a team.  We've never been a star kind of team, we don't go after or have never been able to recruit McDonald's All Americans kids like that.  So our kids have to be the kids that really appreciate what a team is about, playing basketball for the right reasons, and coming to your school for the right reasons...... We really want to try to get kids that are going to come and make the most of that and not be real singular in their mindset."

Q.  With Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube how have those things changed the way that you recruit or the way that you look at recruits?

A.  "What they've changed is that they've really put another work burden on the coaching ranks.  Updating, upkeeping, staying current with who you are what your program is, what you want people to see about you, what your brand is, keeping it available on all of the new social media outlets is time consuming.  It's good in that it really has created  the need to really be good at putting your brand together.....  In terms of finding players it hasn't changed that.  In communication with players, finding the right ways for them.  Whether it's directly from you or through some of these third party sites cause they're pretty controlled right now for recruiting, but they're going to open up tremendously in the next couple years."

Thanks again to Coach Elliott for taking the time out to meet with me and sit down and answer some questions.