It's a common phrase, likely because it holds quite a bit of truth, but college coaches like to remind people that recruiting is the lifeblood of a program.
Getting good players has always been and will always be important. It's not the only indicator of success, but it's at the top of the list.
That's why when Travis Steele had an opening this offseason on his men's basketball coaching staff at Xavier University, he elected to go a different route when filling the position by hiring the Musketeers' first-ever director of recruiting.
Steele was looking for someone in the college basketball world with a steady pulse of the recruiting realm and grassroots connections at the high school and AAU level.
He sought out Jordan Brooks.
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"When the position came open, Steele actually reached out to me, surprisingly, and from there we talked for a while, and the rest was history," said Brooks.
Brooks already had five seasons of experience as an assistant coach at the Division I level. And prior to coaching at Howard University and Southeastern Louisiana University, Brooks was heavily involved in the AAU circuit in the Washington, D.C. area where he grew up.
"He's very connected," Steele said of Brooks. "He's got these terrific relationships on the east coast. We want to be able to utilize those relationships that he has with high school coaches and AAU coaches. He'll definitely help us in the recruiting room. He can have a great pulse of who we need to be on."
That part will be at the top of Brooks' to-do list.
"What coach really envisions for me, what he really wants me to do is to try to get a glimpse of these underclassmen ... getting a grip on the 2023 class and who the players are in 2024," said Brooks. "And making the staff aware of who those players are. Because with the (2022) class right now, the assistant coaches, their main focus is on that class. So coach wants me to lock in and focus on who the players are in the 2023 and 2024 class so we can have an edge up and hit the ground running."
Brooks' position has become more prominent recently with many high-major programs opting to have a spot on staff dedicated to recruiting. It speaks to the importance of the post and how valuable it can be for a program.
"Players, those are your lifelines and you want to get the best players available and I think when you get the best players available now it's your job to develop them," said Brooks. "So I think a lot of schools are taking that approach because my philosophy is you gotta have good players to compete for championships. I think that may be a reason why people are going towards having a director of recruiting who can actually focus and get a grip on who the players are and the relationships to get really good guys to come to one school."
Brooks' responsibilities will extend beyond recruiting and the organization that goes into it. He'll also work with the current players on the roster in a personal and character development space. And he'll help with scouting opponents during the season, and Brooks will have in-game coaching duties on the bench.
Brooks joined Xavier's staff earlier this month right as the recruiting dead period, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, was lifted and communication was allowed to commence with the 2023 class.
It's been a busy start to his time at Xavier, but Brooks is well-equipped to handle it.
"I'm definitely a grinder," said Brooks, "a super hard worker. This is the game that I love and working for coach Steele, he's a great guy and the history and tradition of the Xavier program speaks for itself. I'm extremely happy to be a part of it. I'm ready to hit the ground running and I've hit the ground running. I've been non-stop because I want to have success with this program."
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