A few months ago, I wrote what I thought was a rather innocent article on how Twitter – kind of a mix between a blog and text messaging -  would be one of the next big developments in college recruiting.

What resulted was an avalanche of opinions back to me from college coaches and athletic directors, ranging from “we use it, and we love it” to “it’s illegal, and I’m calling the NCAA on you!”

Since then, “Twittering” among coaches has skyrocketed: Hundreds of college coaches have started using the service to keep their fans, alumni, and their recruits updated on what’s going on with them and their program.  A couple of weekends ago, I got updates from USC’s Pete Carroll as he watched an Angels-Red Sox game, heard results from the University of Utah’s track and field team, and much, much more.

Twitter, along with Facebook and individual blogs that coaches are writing, is the new frontier in college recruiting.  It’s growing in popularity because of the connectivity it gives coaches with those that want to follow them, but sometimes dives into the gray areas that are yet to be defined by the NCAA.

Suffice it to say that as college recruiters travel along the information superhighway, there are sure to be some bumps in the road. 

One case illustrates what a challenge emerging technology is for the NCAA, their coaches and the recruits that are sometimes caught in the middle.

The controversy that has people talking is the case of North Carolina State freshman student Taylor Mosely, who started a Facebook group with a title that implores a high value basketball recruit to sign with his school.

He was recently served with a cease and desist letter from the school’s NCAA compliance director, saying that his actions – and his Facebook website – might help persuade this blue chip recruit to come to play for the Wolfpack.

I’ll leave the issue of right and wrong to others to determine (of course, you can post your comments on the subject below), but this type of story serves as a platform to talk about some observations about technology and recruiting in today’s world of college sports.

Technology isn’t going away, so coaches better keep up with it.  That sounds like an obvious enough statement, although it might surprise you to see – as I do in my work with college athletic departments – that many of today’s coaches shy away from embracing technology.  Some are downright proud of their technology abstinence, such as Florida’s football coach Urban Meyer.  While Coach Meyer and a select group might be able to get away with that approach, the other 99.8% of college coaches reading this need to commit to stay updated with the latest technology, and use it on a regular basis so long as it’s allowed by NCAA guidelines.

It’s the preferred method of communication by your prospects.  If you can find a way to use technology to communicate and tell your story to recruits that is permissible under NCAA guidelines, do it.  Letters and emails have a valuable place in the recruiting process, but they are only part of the puzzle.  To rely on only those two methods to present an initial view of your program to a prospect is short-sighted, and possibly even foolish.  Incorporate technology into your presentation to recruits.  They’re waiting for it.

Know where you’re not welcome.  You can go too far in embracing technology, and I’m not just talking about breaking NCAA rules.  I’m talking about breaking the unspoken rules of your prospects’ world, primarily where you are welcome and where you aren’t.  You should absolutely author a blog, post updates on Twitter, and use video and pictures to tell your story online.  You absolutely SHOULD NOT be interacting with recruits on MySpace, using Facebook to try and sway recruits to your school (not allowed by the NCAA) or use other teen-oriented social networking websites to try and show them that you are a “cool” coach that knows how to use technology; they will most likely view you as the “creepy” coach that knows how to use technology, and will form a negative opinion of you right from the start.

So, what’s the basic rule in using technology to showcase your program to recruits? 

Simple: Communicate out to them openly and honestly, letting them see the good and the rough edges of you and your program.  And, don’t ask for anything in return using the technology.  Your blog and a website like Twitter should be used as a living, breathing, evolving online brochure that your prospects can come and read at their leisure. 

When used properly, this emerging new technology can make recruiting easier, more efficient and more conducive to how today’s teens want to learn about your program.

There are two other essential technology tools that leading college coaches and recruiters use.  For communicating with prospects, you can't do much better than Front Rush, the leading web-based contact manager and branded email product. 

And, Dartfish is a great resource for training your athletes to perform better by coaching them through video.  We recommend them both as easy-to-use, affordable tools that can make a big difference in your career as a college coach.