Wisconsin
Of course, when Alvarez first said that was what he intended to do and expected that to turn Wisconsin from a Loser to a Winner, most laughed. They laughed not only because Michigan and Ohio St got the vast majority of recruits they wanted from any midwestern state that would end up in the Big Ten. They also laughed because WI HS football was not respected.
I think there are two lessons in the Wisconsin story that UNC needs to learn. The first is that we cannot be successful at building a wall around NC as the Badgers have WI because Wisky is the only P5 school in the state - the only D1 school in the state - while UNC shares NC with 3 other ACC schools and (now) 3 other D1 schools.
Also important is the fact that WI is largely isolated from other states, especially from states that feature top P5 football programs. WI's longest border is with MN, and the Gophers lost the majority of their fans and attractiveness the year the NFL arrived in town. WI borders MI's Upper Peninsula, which is very sparsely populated and is separated from MI's mainland by Lake Michigan. The closest Big Ten school is Northwestern, which is a total after-thought in Chicago and elsewhere.
NC is the opposite. Clemson is just over the border. SoCar, which averages 75K per home game, is as close to Charlotte as is UNC. VT, with one of the best home game atmospheres in the country, is closer to the NC border than is SoCar. The Vols, and their 100K stadium, are in Knoxville, which is closer to many parts of western NC than UNC is. Even GA is a border state, and Athens is a short drive from the SC border.
Not even Nick Saban could build a wall around NC for UNC.
That is a negative lesson: we cannot build such a wall. Certainly we can do a better job of signing top NC talent, but all the variables mean that we will lose much of it every year.
The positive lesson we should learn from Wisconsin's rise is that it was done not with several 5* recruits and a string of 4* recruits, and resultant recruiting rankings in the Top 15, but with a bunch of hard-working, good attitude, fundamentally focused 3* recruits.
Alvarez formed a Badger football culture that fit with the kinds of players the school could easily recruit. The coaches would maximize those players' abilities with practices and game plans focused on mastery of fundamentals and team execution.
Until such time as UNC football wins a National Championship, we are not going to load up on 5* and high 4* recruits. The only way we can build a consistent winner ala Wisconsin is with coaches who emphasize football meat and potatoes as Alvarez and his successors did. Football meat and potatoes in terms of the guys we recruit and the game plans and the practicing and conditioning.
Of course, when Alvarez first said that was what he intended to do and expected that to turn Wisconsin from a Loser to a Winner, most laughed. They laughed not only because Michigan and Ohio St got the vast majority of recruits they wanted from any midwestern state that would end up in the Big Ten. They also laughed because WI HS football was not respected.
I think there are two lessons in the Wisconsin story that UNC needs to learn. The first is that we cannot be successful at building a wall around NC as the Badgers have WI because Wisky is the only P5 school in the state - the only D1 school in the state - while UNC shares NC with 3 other ACC schools and (now) 3 other D1 schools.
Also important is the fact that WI is largely isolated from other states, especially from states that feature top P5 football programs. WI's longest border is with MN, and the Gophers lost the majority of their fans and attractiveness the year the NFL arrived in town. WI borders MI's Upper Peninsula, which is very sparsely populated and is separated from MI's mainland by Lake Michigan. The closest Big Ten school is Northwestern, which is a total after-thought in Chicago and elsewhere.
NC is the opposite. Clemson is just over the border. SoCar, which averages 75K per home game, is as close to Charlotte as is UNC. VT, with one of the best home game atmospheres in the country, is closer to the NC border than is SoCar. The Vols, and their 100K stadium, are in Knoxville, which is closer to many parts of western NC than UNC is. Even GA is a border state, and Athens is a short drive from the SC border.
Not even Nick Saban could build a wall around NC for UNC.
That is a negative lesson: we cannot build such a wall. Certainly we can do a better job of signing top NC talent, but all the variables mean that we will lose much of it every year.
The positive lesson we should learn from Wisconsin's rise is that it was done not with several 5* recruits and a string of 4* recruits, and resultant recruiting rankings in the Top 15, but with a bunch of hard-working, good attitude, fundamentally focused 3* recruits.
Alvarez formed a Badger football culture that fit with the kinds of players the school could easily recruit. The coaches would maximize those players' abilities with practices and game plans focused on mastery of fundamentals and team execution.
Until such time as UNC football wins a National Championship, we are not going to load up on 5* and high 4* recruits. The only way we can build a consistent winner ala Wisconsin is with coaches who emphasize football meat and potatoes as Alvarez and his successors did. Football meat and potatoes in terms of the guys we recruit and the game plans and the practicing and conditioning.
