RECRUITING LESSONS FROM
TOP NFL COACHES
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So how do great coaches approach recruiting?
And what can you learn from them?
The Super Bowl is the most watched television event according to Nielsen.
But a lot of preparation for the championship game begins off the field
the previous April—when coaches form their teams for the coming year.
As the excitement for this year’s NFL Draft builds, we’re sharing some
strategies top coaches use to find the best players – and how you can
apply these same ideas to help your organization win the recruiting game.
While all of us feel pressure to get the best talent, for NFL coaches bad
picks can make for a very long season in the public eye, and could end
with a hefty bonus or a pink slip. The pressure to get recruiting right is
amplified by the millions of fans and dollars associated with
their choices.
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IT’S EASIER WHEN YOU’RE
WINNING
Bill Belichick has seven Super Bowl rings. By the time he
retires, not only will he be the winningest coach in history,
he may have a ring for every finger.
Given his reputation, recruiting is easier for him. Robert
Kelmko of Sports Illustrated wrote “Players want to play for
the Patriots and win games, and New England knows that.”
There is so much hype around employer branding, but the
Patriots know it pays off. Their brand is winning, and that
attracts top talent.
When your organization has a clear value proposition, with a
track record to support it, attracting the right talent is easier.
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The Patriot brand is winning and that
helps them attract top talent and means
they have more negotiating power.
KEY QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
Do we share our wins with potential candidates?
Is it clear why people should work for us?
Does that align with the type of talent we want to attract?
Are we telling stories through our marketing that
reinforce our employer brand?
Does our candidate experience effectively represent
our brand?
It’s simple,” Belichick tells agents on the phone,
according to Klemko.
“Does your guy want to win a Super Bowl, or doesn’t he?
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The Cowboys are always looking
to improve in every position. Their
strategy is to identify need and the
best player available.
“Need + BPA.”
BEST PLAYER FOR THAT
POSITION
While Bill Belichick may have top talent flocking to
him outside the Draft, relieving some of the pressure,
31 other teams need a different strategy.
The Dallas Cowboys have a storied past, but have
struggled. In recent years, adopting a new recruiting
philosophy has created success for them. They call it
“Need + BPA.”
First, they focus on “need” which is simply whether
they need a player in a certain position. Makes sense,
right? You need a new digital marketer so you hire
one. But equally important is to assess, “Is the digital
marketer we want to hire the best player available
(BPA)?” According to Tom Ryle, who has been writing
about the Cowboys since 2011, these two can be
in conflict when recruiting, but successful coaches
always look at both. This includes looking toward new
prospects, as well as existing team members.
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KEY QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
Are we filling a need quickly, finding the BPA, or both?
Will this candidate make our team stronger overall?
Do we already have great talent on the bench we’re
overlooking?
There is a very real case to be made that
you should not take a mediocre player just
because you have a hole when clearly superior
options at other positions are available.
—Tom Ryle, Dallas Cowboys Columnist
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DATA DRIVES DISCIPLINE
Nick Saban has coached at both the
NFL and college levels. However, his
approach to talent has always been
meticulous, methodical and relentless.
While your recruiting process doesn’t have the hype of an
NFL Draft, there is still plenty of pressure. The hiring manager
needs someone today, there are 200 active requisitions, and
your competitors are chasing the same candidates.
Sometimes it makes you succumb to “warm body syndrome.”
The best way to avoid this is through data-driven decisions.
For instance, Belichick knows from data that second-round
draft picks are most likely to have careers that go bust.
Another example is Coach Nick Saban, who has had great
success at the NCAA level. He has a simple recruiting
philosophy to avoid falling for hype around a player. ESPN’s
Tom Lauginbill describes him as, “Meticulous, methodical
and relentless in every aspect of the recruiting process.” In
fact, he has multiple championships, and only seven losses in
the past five seasons. Wouldn’t you like the same record?
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KEY QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
Do we know what will make this a successful hire?
Does our screening process focus on those factors?
Can we repeat our screening and hiring process at scale?
Are we always looking for new talent that fits our model?
There are two pains in life. There is
the pain of discipline and the pain of
disappointment. If you can handle the pain
of discipline, then you’ll never have to deal
with the pain of disappointment.
— Nick Saban
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UNIQU TALENT
E
Sometimes you find extraordinary talent that doesn’t fit the
exact requirements. Do you pass on them? Or take a risk on
the atypical achiever?
Like other teams, the Miami Dolphins recruiting process starts
out with a prioritized list of needs - similar to a job description.
But they’ll happily abandon that when a unique talent comes
along. Look at Laremy Tunsil.
In 2016, Tunsil was a number one pick for left tackle. Then he
ran into a social media problem, making him less attractive
to other teams. However, the Dolphins did their research and
found he was not only a smart and driven player, but had the
defensive skills to help them solve a big problem – protecting
their quarterback who had the most sacks in the league.
Because the Dolphin’s took a chance on Tunsil’s unique talent
and saw him in a different role, he became the defensive
catalyst the team needed.
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The Dolphins take risk on players
who other teams might pass up.
Ensure that your approach allows you
the flexibility to find diamonds in
the rough.
KEY QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
Are we missing out on unique talent because our process
is rigid or does not scale?
Is our process geared up for screening for risks, but not
discounting unique talent?
Do we have a way to recognize strong outliers?
I believe it’s about the players, not the
scheme and doing what’s best for the
players and developing the team.
— Adam Grace, Miami Dolphins Coach
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MONEYBALL ISN’T JUST
FOR BASEBALL
The Cleveland Browns are the most loveable losers in the NFL.
Without Belichick’s records or Miami’s weather, they needed
a way to stand out. So they hired a baseball expert—Paul
DePodesta from the NY Mets.
To play moneyball you need data, discipline, and an eye for
unique talent. But the big differentiator is in the rigorousness
of the process. DePodesta is transforming their football
recruiting model from 30 percent data/70 percent scouting,
to 60 percent data/40 percent scouting. Objective data (like
the length of a defensive lineman’s arms) will take the lead.
Where the real magic happen is in the selection process. With
Brown’s new approach, scouts must argue using objective
facts, not just gut decisions.
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The Moneyball thesis is simple:
Using statistical analysis you find
talent that is undervalued. To do
that you need a rigorous process
for scouting and a model for what
works for your business or team.
KEY QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
Are we learning from other industries?
Is our process designed to find hidden gems?
Do we have a clear understanding of what makes
someone successful in a role? Or at our company?
Besides scouting and drafting, teams employ
analytics to weigh trades, allot practice
time, call plays and manage clock. What will
differentiate DePodesta and Cleveland is
extent to which Browns use data science to
influence decision-making.
— David Fleming, ESPN
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BUILDING THE BENCH
Like the Patriots or not, Tom Brady is one of the best
quarterbacks ever. However, even while Brady has played for
the Patriots, Belichick has recruited seven quarterbacks—the
same number recruited by other, more needy teams.
Belichick, like most winning organizations, believes in always
having a strong bench. Like the modern work world, football
recruiting requires not only a quest for new excellence, but
also building on what they have. So, they constantly seek to
upgrade existing talent in every position, by looking at their
bench as well.
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Even when you have world-class
talent, you need to be constantly
building the bench. The team still has
to play on Sunday even if their star
quarterback is out.
KEY QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
When we identify talent we want, do we have a system to
stay in contact with them?
Are you prepared if one of your superstars decides to leave?
Do we regularly identify top talent outside of just when
there is an opening?
There are no shortcuts to building a team
each season. You build the foundation brick
by brick.
— Bill Belichick
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Learn more about PeopleFluent Recruiting
on our website or call us today at
(877) 879-8807.
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