[Austroturf]

I don't advocate dumping the head coach at the moment, but if you hire the right coach he will be able to retain the recruits. Jim Harbaugh was hired in December 2007 and there was no early signing period, so Stanford commits had at least some opportunities to look elsewhere. But I don't think he had a single decommitment from Harris' recruits (but someone with a better memory, feel free to correct me). Part of that was probably due to the fact that there aren't a lot of scholarship offers still available at other schools in mid-December, but I'm sure part of it was Jim Harbaugh's ability to sell Stanford as both an academic and upcoming football school.

The 2007 class was not at all highly rated, but it had some solid players: Coby Fleener, Owen Marecic, Doug Baldwin.

if someone was willing to commit while Harris was the coach I cannot imagine them decommitting when he was fired...

Good point.

[Austroturf]

I don't advocate dumping the head coach at the moment, but if you hire the right coach he will be able to retain the recruits. Jim Harbaugh was hired in December 2007 and there was no early signing period, so Stanford commits had at least some opportunities to look elsewhere. But I don't think he had a single decommitment from Harris' recruits (but someone with a better memory, feel free to correct me). Part of that was probably due to the fact that there aren't a lot of scholarship offers still available at other schools in mid-December, but I'm sure part of it was Jim Harbaugh's ability to sell Stanford as both an academic and upcoming football school.

The 2007 class was not at all highly rated, but it had some solid players: Coby Fleener, Owen Marecic, Doug Baldwin.

if someone was willing to commit while Harris was the coach I cannot imagine them decommitting when he was fired...

Good point.